Congress leader Anil Antony, son of senior Congress leader and former Union minister AK Antony, resigned from all party posts a day after he slammed the BBC documentary on PM Modi.
He has resigned from the posts of chairman, state Congress digital communication cell and AICC’s digital media coordinator.
In his resignation letter, Anil said he was made aware that ‘the coterie around the leadership’ is keen to work with a bunch of ‘sycophants and chamchas’. “Sadly, we don’t have much common ground,” he wrote.
“I am sure that I have my own unique strengths which could have enabled me to contribute very effectively to the party in several ways. However, by now I have been made well aware that you, your colleagues and the coterie around the leadership are only keen to work with a bunch of sycophants and chamchas, who would unquestionably be at your beck and call. This has become the lone criterion of merit. Sadly, we don’t have much common ground,” his letter read.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Anil Antony had said placing the views of the British broadcaster over Indian institutions would ‘undermine’ the country’s sovereignty
“Despite large differences with BJP, I think those in India placing views of BBC, a UK state-sponsored channel with a long history of prejudices, and of Jack Straw, the brain behind the Iraq war, over Indian institutions is setting a dangerous precedence, will undermine our sovereignty,” Anil tweeted on Tuesday.
Anil drew flak from Congress leadership, including the youth Congress leadership, for taking a divergent view on the controversial BBC documentary on PM Narendra Modi,
On Tuesday, KPCC president K Sudhakaran had come out with a hard-hitting statement against Anil, without naming him. He said when the state congress media cell is going to be revamped, “someone” who comes up against the documentary should not be taken seriously. This led Anil to expedite his resignation process
Youth Congress Kerala president Shafi Parambil welcomed Anil’s resignation from his dual roles, Youth Congress state vice-president Rijil Makutty has demanded action against Anil.
A K Antony who is in his hometown in Cherthala for his nephew’s marriage has declined to comment on Anil Antony’s resignation from Congress posts after criticizing the BBC documentary.
Congress leader Sashi Tharoor said that Anil’s stand that a documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots would threaten the sovereignty and national security of India is immature.
BJP state president K Surendran said that Rahul Gandhi and his company do not even have the common sense of AK Antony’s son.