Congress showing same mindset as Sangh Parivar and BJP, hence silent on CAA: CPI(M)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala on Thursday once again accused its INDIA bloc ally Congress of being silent on CAA and alleged that the grand old party was showing the same mindset as the BJP and the Sangh Parivar.

The accusation was leveled by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who also alleged that the grand old party's Kerala unit, which initially joined the Left front to oppose the CAA, withdrew from the same on the directions of its national leadership.

He made the statements during a LDF election meeting at Attingal from where CPI(M) candidate V Joy is contesting in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing the gathering, Vijayan reiterated his allegations that the Congress and Rahul Gandhi were silent on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

He also said that the Congress in its poll manifesto has not said anything about the CAA.

Vijayan said that many countries, including the USA, have opposed and criticised the CAA, but the Congress has been unable to take such a stand or oppose the Sangh Parivar agenda of the BJP.

The Marxist veteran further alleged that the Congress opposes actions of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Income Tax Department and other Central agencies only when they are against its own leaders.

"If the action is against leaders of other parties, it remains silent," he said and cited the examples of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and CPI(M) leader Thomas Isaac.

Vijayan alleged that the ED was able to take action against Kejriwal as Congress had lodged a police complaint against him regarding the liquor policy.

He also said that the Congress was questioning why Isaac was not being arrested by the ED in connection with its probe into the KIIFB masala bond case.

Vijayan claimed that the people who voted the UDF MPs to the Parliament in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls are now disappointed as they have not raised their voice on any non-secular national issue in the Lower House.

"The public who voted for them are pained by this," he said.

He also stated that the UDF MPs were silent against the Centre's alleged neglect towards Kerala and the financial restrictions which were choking the state economically.

The Congress has been refuting these allegations against the party and Gandhi.

Several senior Congress leaders including Shashi Tharoor and K C Venugopal have contended that the party was opposed to the CAA right from the start.

Tharoor had said that there were several speeches by him in the Lok Sabha against the CAA and had offered to show them to the Kerala CM.

Venugopal had said that no one has opposed the BJP like Rahul Gandhi has and Vijayan continued to make allegations against the Congress MP from Wayanad only to please Narendra Modi.

On the CAA, Venugopal had said that if the Congress-led INDIA bloc comes to power, the contentious legislation would be repealed.

Regarding the financial situation of the state, the Congress has acknowledged that the Centre's policies were restrictive, but contended that they were not the sole reason for Kerala's economic problems.

The grand old party has claimed that the mismanagement, extravagance, corruption and poor tax collection by the Left government were the main reasons for the state's financial problems.