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'Mamata Banerjee is INDIA bloc leader': Mani Shankar Aiyar's advice to Rahul Gandhi amid strained Congress ties
Amid a series of controversial remarks, senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar said if the party cannot accept dissidents, it is the party's "doom".
Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has sparked a fresh row with another remark, this time offering advice for MP Rahul Gandhi. He reportedly backed Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee as the leader of the INDIA bloc, saying that without her, the "alliance will be gone".
The fresh remarks come just days after Aiyar said he is not a "Rahulian" because the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha is much younger than him and is distant in his political life.
On Sunday afternoon, he said, "Mamata Banerjee is the leader of this (INDIA) alliance. Along with her, there are two or four others who can achieve this position."
"I hope that instead of trying to remain in this position, which belongs to smaller parties -- be it Stalin, Mamata Didi, Akhilesh (Yadav), Tejashwi (Yadav), or someone else - Rahul Gandhi should let them handle it," Aiyar was quoted as saying by NDTV.
Aiyar's series of controversial remarks also comes amid strained ties with the Congress.
Last Sunday, Mani Shankar Aiyar expressed confidence in Pinarayi Vijayan of the CPI(M), saying that he would continue to be Kerala's chief minister.
"So, in the presence of the chief minister, who I am sure will be the next chief minister, I renew my plea that to reinforce Kerala as the best Panchayati Raj state in the country, state laws should be amended based on practical experience, Thomas Isaac's insights, the five-volume report I chaired and the note on district planning by V Ramachandran circulated by the Planning Commission when it truly supported Panchayati Raj," Aiyar said.
However, the Congress distanced itself from Aiyar's remarks, saying he has had no connection whatsoever with the party for the past few years, adding that he speaks and writes purely in his personal capacity.
The party further said the people of Kerala will bring back the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) to power for a more responsible and responsive governance.
Aiyar also launched several verbal attacks on other Congress leaders, including Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor, whom he called an "unprincipled careerist". Aiyar labelled AICC general secretary KC Venugopal a "rowdy", and took a swipe at party veteran Ramesh Chennithala.
Following criticism over his remarks, Aiyar said if the Congress cannot accept dissidents, it is the party's "doom", and if it does not have the courage to respond to the person in a "polite but firm language", it doesn't deserve to rule.
