Mani Shankar Aiyar
NEW DELHI: Veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Friday questioned the grand old party’s decision to support actor-politician Vijay and his Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu, calling the move “dreadful”, ethically questionable and politically reckless. Speaking to PTIl, Aiyar accused the Congress of abandoning its long-time ally Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam immediately after contesting elections together. He argued that the Congress owed its five Assembly victories entirely to the DMK-led alliance and not to its own organisational strength.“This is an unforgivable violation of Mahatma Gandhi’s 1925 maxim, ‘Swaraj should be a government based on morality’,” Aiyar said, questioning whether the Congress had chosen “Chanakya” over Gandhi in its politics.The Congress on Wednesday severed ties with the DMK and announced support for Vijay’s TVK in a bid to help form a government in Tamil Nadu. The move marked one of the biggest political shifts in the state in recent years after TVK stunned both the DMK and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam by winning 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly.With support from the Congress’ five MLAs, the TVK alliance now stands at 112 seats, still short of the majority mark of 118. The CPI and CPI(M), which hold two seats each, are discussing whether to extend support to Vijay, a move that could push the alliance close to power.Aiyar, however, warned that the Congress was sacrificing both morality and long-term political wisdom for immediate gains. “Is this ethical or is it even politically wise,” he asked, saying the party had shown itself to be “driven less by good behaviour, self-restraint and self-sacrifice, as taught by the Mahatma, and more in favour of immediate reward”.He also questioned why the Congress would abandon a partner that had consistently stood by it through political setbacks. Referring to the DMK’s support for Rahul Gandhi, Aiyar wrote in a sharply-worded article in Hindu Tami, “How can the Congress justify letting down a partner who, alone in the INDIA bloc, proclaimed ‘brother’ Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister?”Aiyar argued that the Congress’ decision could inadvertently help the BJP gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu politics. “And if this facilitates the backdoor entry of a communal BJP into the golden ‘chen Tamizh’ political ethos of Dravidian Tamil Nadu, it would prove the worst own goal in the history of political football,” he wrote.The Congress’ decision has already triggered sharp reactions from the DMK, which described the move as “backstabbing”. Meanwhile, protests erupted in Chennai and Madurai, with Congress workers demanding that Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar invite Vijay to form the government as leader of the single-largest formation.Aiyar’s intervention has once again placed the veteran leader at odds with the Congress leadership. Over the years, his controversial remarks have repeatedly embarrassed the party. In recent months, he publicly distanced himself from Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, declaring, “I am a Gandhian, I am a Nehruvian, I am a Rajivian, but I am not a Rahulian.”
