On Monday, senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar publicly criticized his party colleagues, a day after stating that the LDF, led by Pinarayi Vijayan, would retain power in Kerala.
In a series of sharp remarks, Aiyar branded Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor a "dishonest careerist" and described AICC general secretary (organization) K C Venugopal as a "troublemaker". He also criticized party veteran Ramesh Chennithala.
"I have never met a more dishonest careerist than Shashi Tharoor, who, because the Congress did not make him the foreign minister, is now trying to become Modi's foreign minister. The Congress party was built on principles, not on opportunism," he said.
Aiyar also criticized Pawan Khera, referring to the Congress national spokesperson as a "pony". Aiyar was responding to a social media post by Khera distancing the party from his remarks.
Speaking to NDTV, Aiyar said that Khera had told him two years ago that he did not represent the Congress in any capacity.
"He is a pony, a puppet of the Congress. He is not a spokesperson," Aiyar said. Khera was an inferior IAS officer who later joined the Congress, he said, alleging that the spokesperson had been abusing him for the last two years.
"So why do you expect me to answer the question?" he said.
Continuing his criticism, Aiyar said Khera was a "clerk."
"How dare he make repeated announcements about me? If the Congress party cannot find anyone but Khera to be its spokesperson, then it will remain in the condition in which it is," he said.
Aiyar also lashed out at senior Kerala Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala for criticizing him and said "Why are you asking me about Ramesh Chennithala's estimation of himself? He has twice lost elections. I don't think he has the right," Aiyar told
