Tamil Nadu Congress slipping into path of destruction, alleges MP Jothimani

Chennai: Congress Lok Sabha MP S Jothimani on Friday alleged her party unit in Tamil Nadu was gradually moving towards the path of destruction due to the selfishness of a few leaders and said the infighting was causing huge fatigue.

In an expression of open dissent, she alleged the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) is moving on a path that is directly opposite to the selfless, principled, and fearless politics of party leader Rahul Gandhi.

"We cannot betray his (Rahul Gandhi) hard work and unparalleled sacrifice," she said, in a social media post, without naming any state Congress leader. TNCC President K Selvaperunthagai declined to comment, and sources close to him said the "allegations are not true."

She alleged: "No political party would think of scuttling submission of the list of polling station agents by its MP to the Election Commission when the election is nearing. "However, it is happening in the Congress party."

The Assembly election in Tamil Nadu is due in March-April this year.

Every day, the Tamil Nadu Congress is in the news, not for people's issues but for "wrong reasons", and the things that are happening in the TN Congress cause huge concern. Efforts to dilute political activities and ideological standpoints are anguishing, she said.

Tamil Nadu was facing a never-before-seen "huge danger" from communal, divisive and violent forces, Jothimani said. A "crowd" is waiting to somehow capture power by stoking sentiments and burying ideals like social justice, self-respect, people-centric welfare politics and growth. Such ideals were nurtured by leaders, including K Kamaraj and 'Periyar' EV Ramasamy, she added.

Against this background, all political parties have the responsibility to handle the upcoming election with great care. However, one cannot avoid raising the question of "whether the Congress party has properly understood that immense responsibility," Jothimani said.

The Congress party must not forsake the Tamil Nadu people who remain steadfast in fighting for social justice, self-respect, and state rights without succumbing to communal and divisive schemes, she said in the post.

Also, though the party has not been in power for nearly 60 years in Tamil Nadu, Congress workers still carry with pride the party flag in every village, and their sentiments must not be ignored, she urged.

In this context, Jothimani said the continuing internal party bickerings, without any discipline, are causing distress. Furthermore, she said: "Rather than advancing ideology-based politics with determination, and without discussing people's problems, and by doing (electoral) arithmetic calculations alone, the Tamil Nadu Congress is gradually moving towards a path of destruction due to the selfish interests of a few. It is time for genuine Congress workers to realise that it is the responsibility of all of us to stop this."

Everyone must remember that the Congress party's identity and the respect it commands in the state are rooted in the people's love and respect for Kamaraj's legacy and for the sacrifices of the Nehru-Gandhi family, Jothimani stated.

Congress is DMK's ally in Tamil Nadu, and TNCC chief Selvaperunthagai and other senior leaders in the state declared that their alliance with the ruling party is strong.