Congress leader and former Defense Minister AK Antony on Thursday said he was hurt by his son joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying it was a very wrong decision.
“Anil’s decision to join BJP has hurt me. It is a very wrong decision. The basis of India is unity and religious harmony. After 2014, the Modi government came to power, they systematically tried to destroy diversity and secularism. The BJP believes only in uniformity, they are ‘destroying the country’s constitutional values,’ Antony said.
Antony, who returned to the state capital soon after the Rajya Sabha term ended last year, was addressing a press conference at the state party headquarters.
Earlier in the day, Anil Antony joined the BJP in Delhi and said, ‘Many Congress leaders believe that their duty is to work for a particular family, but I believe that it is my duty to work for the people. There is duty. PM Narendra Modi has a clear vision to make India a developed country in the next 25 years.”
But Antony said that after Modi assumed power in his first term in 2014, the core principles of Indian democracy, which focused on secularism and pluralism, had been affected.
He said, “And when he took power in his second term, it intensified and centered around autocracy. For me, till my last breath I will keep fighting the BJP and the RSS. I am close to the Nehru family.” Even though I repressed my feelings, Antony said, once I had to part with them, once I returned after some time, my love and respect for the Nehru family has grown steadily and enormously.
“My life is entering the final phase as I am now 82 years old and I do not know how long I will live. I am not interested in longevity but I will be a Congressman till my last breath. What did I say. The verdict is now my first and last statement and I will not speak about it again,” he said and walked away.
Former Leader of the Opposition and senior party MLA Ramesh Chennithala said the decision to pursue a son was his own and it would never be a blot on Antony.
“Anil joining the BJP will have no impact,” he said.
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