KOZHIKODE: In a sharp retort to Congress‘s Rahul Gandhi, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said he and other Left leaders cannot be intimidated by jail threat or probe by Central agencies.
Rahul said in Kannur on Thursday that CMs of two states are now in jail, but Vijayan has not even been questioned by ED despite corruption charges.
Speaking at an LDF election rally here on Friday, Vijayan said Rahul’s “grandmother had jailed us for one-and-a-half years (during the Emergency) when she reigned over the country”.
“Rahul Gandhi is worried why Kerala chief minister is not being interrogated or taken into custody and why no case is being registered. Rahul Gandhi… you had a name in the past. You should not create a situation that shows that you have not changed,” Vijayan said.
Left leaders are not like former Congress leader Ashok Chavan, who joined BJP after reportedly saying that they cannot go there (to jail), he added.
“We are not ones who have not faced interrogation. It was your follower who had referred a fabricated case to CBI as part of political vendetta. It was later dismissed by the vigilance dept. The CBI had questioned and they too came to the same conclusion. You (Congress) were in power then. You check with those who were in govt then and you will know that we were not shaken on hearing about the probe. Don’t try to intimidate us by talking about jail, probe or Central agencies,” Vijayan said.
Vijayan said that his criticisms against Rahul had been over the failure to take a strong stand against CAA. “Where was Congress when there was a nationwide stir against CAA?Why was the issue not mentioned during Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra?” he asked.
Rahul said in Kannur on Thursday that CMs of two states are now in jail, but Vijayan has not even been questioned by ED despite corruption charges.
Speaking at an LDF election rally here on Friday, Vijayan said Rahul’s “grandmother had jailed us for one-and-a-half years (during the Emergency) when she reigned over the country”.
“Rahul Gandhi is worried why Kerala chief minister is not being interrogated or taken into custody and why no case is being registered. Rahul Gandhi… you had a name in the past. You should not create a situation that shows that you have not changed,” Vijayan said.
Left leaders are not like former Congress leader Ashok Chavan, who joined BJP after reportedly saying that they cannot go there (to jail), he added.
“We are not ones who have not faced interrogation. It was your follower who had referred a fabricated case to CBI as part of political vendetta. It was later dismissed by the vigilance dept. The CBI had questioned and they too came to the same conclusion. You (Congress) were in power then. You check with those who were in govt then and you will know that we were not shaken on hearing about the probe. Don’t try to intimidate us by talking about jail, probe or Central agencies,” Vijayan said.
Vijayan said that his criticisms against Rahul had been over the failure to take a strong stand against CAA. “Where was Congress when there was a nationwide stir against CAA?Why was the issue not mentioned during Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra?” he asked.