Kochi, March 26 Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying that despite being a prominent national political figure, "he does not learn from experience" and accused him and his party of being the BJP's "B-team".
Vijayan's remarks came a day after Rahul claimed that the alleged inaction by central agencies against Vijayan in various corruption cases against him was proof of the "collusion" between the LDF and the BJP.
Responding to questions from reporters at a press conference in Kothamangalam, Vijayan said, "Although he (Rahul) is a national leader, the reality is that he lacks the understanding that a regional leader possesses. He does not try to understand anything clearly. Also, he does not learn from experience."
"These are not qualities that befit a political leader. How can there be so much decline in a prominent figure in the Congress? All this shows that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress in India are the B-team of the BJP."
Vijayan added that Rahul's position aligns with this view.
Rahul had said on Wednesday at a UDF election event led by the Congress that opposition leaders across the country were being attacked and cases were being registered against them for fighting against the BJP.
However, the corruption cases against Vijayan were not progressing, and this indicated the collusion between the LDF and the BJP.
Hitting back at the Congress leader, Vijayan said that in Delhi, Rahul and the Congress had sought the arrest of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal in a liquor policy corruption case.
However, Kejriwal was later acquitted, which was a "blow to the face" of the BJP and the Congress, including Rahul, Vijayan said.
He also pointed out that the Congress, instead of joining forces with the AAP to defeat the BJP in Delhi, opposed Kejriwal's party, leading to the saffron party's victory there.
Similarly, in Haryana and Bihar, the Congress' inability to form an alliance against the BJP led to the saffron party's victory in the assembly elections in those states, Vijayan claimed.
"All this shows that the Congress is helping the BJP win and is acting as its partner," he contended.
Vijayan further said that it was the Congress, which has had an alliance with the BJP in Kerala for decades to defeat the LDF.
He said that from the time of EMS Namboodiripad, the Congress has been allied with the RSS and then the Jansangh party and now the BJP, to gain power in the southern state.
"Both the Congress and the BJP have the same mindset," he claimed.
Therefore, the Congress leader's allegation of an alliance between the CPI(M) and BJP was just "an anticipatory bail" in view of their impending defeat in the upcoming assembly elections, the CM said.
Rahul and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, at the UDF election event, had claimed that there was a "secret deal" between the CPI(M) and the BJP.