Congress working committee member A.K. Antony emerged from hibernation on Wednesday to exude confidence that the party is making strides not only in Kerala but across the country.
Breaking his long silence on political issues, Antony, who was meeting reporters at Indira Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, countered Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s allegation in the Assembly that police atrocities occurred more during the Congress veteran’s tenure as chief minister.
Antony had served as chief minister of Kerala for three terms — April 1977 to October 1978, March 1995 to May 1996, and May 2001 to August 2004. Antony left Kerala in 2004 and moved to Delhi as a Rajya Sabha member, going on to become the Union defence minister. He bid adieu to politics in April 2022 and returned to Thiruvananthapuram to lead a quiet life.
On Tuesday, Vijayan unleashed a tirade against Antony, making him culpable for the police atrocities at the Sivagiri Mutt (1995), the Muthanga firing against adivasis in Wayanad (2003) in which five people were killed, and the Marad communal clashes in Kozhikode (2003) that killed eight people. The Opposition UDF
led by the Congress did not defend Antony in the Assembly, which may have prompted him to break his silence and meet the media at the party headquarters here on Wednesday.
“The Congress is emerging stronger in Kerala and across the country. The party is not facing any crisis. None can weaken the Congress. For the last 21 years, I’ve faced several attacks. After moving to Delhi, none bothered to clarify why the police had to take action (in Sivagiri, Muthanga and Marad). I thought I would respond only after the 2026 Assembly elections. But after Pinarayi’s allegations, I decided to speak up. I wish to reveal more, which I would do after the Assembly elections, that is, if I’m alive then,” said Antony, 84.
Sonia-Rahul trip
Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are scheduled to visit Wayanad on Friday. The party said they would be on a personal trip.