KOZHIKODE : A day after Rahul Gandhi cast aspersions on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for ‘hobnobbing with the BJP,’ the CM stepped up attack against the Congress leader, reminding him about the deeds of his grandmother Indira Gandhi.
Addressing an election programme in Kozhikode on Friday, Pinarayi said that Rahul’s recent words attest that he has not changed from his old self. “It is not good to create an impression that you (Rahul) have not changed from what you were described earlier,” Pinarayi said ostensibly referring to Rahul’s nickname.
Rahul had asked as to why the BJP government is not doing anything against Pinarayi while two chief ministers are in jail. “It was your grandmother who jailed us when she was reigning supreme in the country,” Pinarayi said referring to the arrest of opposition leaders during Emergency.
“We are not like your leader Ashok Chavan who said he is afraid of going to jail. We didn’t faint when we heard about the investigation. Better not scare us by showing jail and investigating agencies,” he said.
Pinarayi said he spoke against Rahul when the Congress leader repeatedly refused to speak about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
He did not say a word on CAA during his Bharat Jodo Yathra or during the election campaign. Congress leaders kept silent on the BJP agenda, he said.
CPM state secretary M V Govindan said that Rahul is backstabbing the INDIA bloc. “On what charges Pinarayi and his family should be arrested? What he said is utter nonsense,” Govindan said.