Anil Antony’s ‘defection’ to BJP has sparked outrage in Congress ranks, with his family criticizing the ‘impulsive’ choice. His younger brother Ajit said on Friday that the saffron party would throw him out like “curry leaves” after using him in the short term. His father, senior Congress leader AK Antony, had earlier said he was “deeply pained” by the move.
“Pappa (AKA Antony) was seen sitting in a corner of the house in extreme pain. I have never seen him so weak like this in my life. He didn’t shed tears, that’s all. I had thought that he would walk away from the (Congress) party in anger, but I never thought that he would go to the BJP. The decision was completely unexpected,” Ajith said.
While the newly appointed BJP leader had recently clashed with other members of his family over several political issues, Ajit Antony said the decision had come as a shock to the rest of the family.
Read also: Anil Antony, son of veteran Congress leader AK Antony, has joined the BJP.
He said, ‘I am deeply saddened by Anil’s decision to join the BJP. It was a wrong decision. I am 82 now. I am at the end of my life. I don’t know how long I will live and I have no interest in living a long life. “As long as I am alive, I will be a worker of the Indian National Congress,” AK Antony told reporters at the KPCC headquarters on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the BJP leader asserted that today’s iteration of the Congress is ‘not the Congress I knew when I was growing up’.
“It is not even the party that existed five years ago. Now the Congress has lost all interest… The party has now started giving priority to the interests of two-three persons.”
“It has been a very decisive decision in my life. A few months ago, I quit Congress because of differences regarding a documentary (BBC) which I feel was an attack on our sovereignty and integrity…” Antony he said.
Read also: On son Anil joining BJP, AK Antony said, ‘Wrong decision, it has hurt me’
(with inputs from agencies)
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