Congress fumes as Anil Antony joins BJP, his brother says ‘he will be thrown out like curry leaves'
2 min read . Updated: 07 Apr 2023, 03:16 PM IST
PremiumA day after Anil Antony joined the BJP snapping all association with the Congress, A K Antony's younger son Ajith on Friday said his brother's decision was an ‘impulsive’ one and the saffron party would throw him out like ‘curry leaves’ after using him.
Anil Antony's ‘defection’ to the BJP has sparked outrage in the Congress ranks, with his family lambasting the ‘impulsive’ choice. His younger brother Ajith asserted on Friday that the saffron party would throw him out like "curry leaves" after using him in the short term. His father - senior Congress leader AK Antony - had earlier said that he was ‘deeply pained’ by the move.
“Pappa (A K Antony) was seen sitting with utmost pain in a corner of the house. I have never ever seen him so weak like this in my life. He did not shed tears, that's all. I thought he would stay away from the (Congress) party out of anger, but I never ever thought that he would go to the BJP. The decision was a totally unexpected one," Ajith said.
While the newly inducted BJP leader had recently clashed with other members of his family on several political issues, Ajith Antony said the decision had come as a shock to the rest of the family.
“I am deeply pained by Anil's decision to join the BJP. It was a wrong decision. I am 82 now. I am at the last stages of my life. I don't know how long I will live and I don't have any interest in having a long life. I will remain a worker of the Indian National Congress as long as I live," AK Antony told reporters at the KPCC headquarters on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the BJP leader insisted that today's iteration of the Congress was ‘not the Congress I knew when I was growing up’.
“It is not even the party that existed five years back. Now Congress has lost all interest...Party now has started prioritising the interest of two-three individuals," he opined.
“This has been a very decisive decision in my life. A few months back, I quit Congress because there was a difference of opinion regarding a documentary (BBC), which I believe was an attack on our sovereignty and integrity..." added Antony.
(With inputs from agencies)