Last Updated: April 06, 2023, 21:22 IST
Anil Antony, son of Congress veteran and former defence minister AK Antony, joins the BJP in the presence of Union Minister and senior party leader Piyush Goyal in Delhi on April 6. (Image: PTI)
Meanwhile, AK Antony, a close confidant of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, termed his son’s action “wrong” and “very painful” for him
The Congress on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Anil Antony, who joined the BJP, and accused him of “betraying” his father former Defence minister AK Antony on “Maundy Thursday”. Anil, who headed the Kerala Congress’ digital media cell before quitting the party, was welcomed into the saffron party by Union ministers Piyush Goyal and V Muraleedharan, as the Bharatiya Janata Party seeks to increase its foothold in Kerala.
Kerala Congress President K Sudhakaran said in Thiruvananthapuram, “Today (Maundy Thursday) is the day of Judas (Iscariot) who betrayed Jesus Christ for a payment of 30 silver coins. Many such things will happen on that day. This (Anil joining BJP) should also be seen as such an incident.”
Earlier in the day, Anil slammed a section of the grand old party leadership for “serving the interests of a single family” instead of working for the country. Soon after joining the BJP, Anil said during a press briefing, “I believe in Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah. Nowadays, some Congress leaders believe that it is their dharma (duty) to serve the interests of a family. But, I believe that it is my duty to serve the nation.”
When asked whether he had a discussion with his father before joining the BJP, Anil said he “strongly believed” that he had taken the right step. “In my house there are four people. There is my father, my mother, my brother and me. All of us are very different people. He is my father, so we have a very good relationship. He is a person I love and respect the most in my life,” he said, adding, “But this is not about personalities, this is about a difference of opinion and ideas. I strongly believe that I have taken the right step. But, my respect for my father will remain the same. There is no question of any politics in my family.”
Meanwhile, AK Antony, a close confidant of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, termed his son’s action “wrong” and “very painful” for him.
In Thiruvananthapuram, an emotionally charged Antony said, “I am deeply pained by Anil’s decision to join the BJP. It was a wrong decision.”
Antony further said that his loyalty would always lie with the Nehru family, which is still at the forefront of the “fearless fight to safeguard the basic ideals of India”.
Anil had resigned from the Congress in January after criticising the party’s stand on a controversial BBC documentary BBC on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
(with inputs from PTI)
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