'No Personal Animosity': Anil Antony Responds to Father's Criticism on Joining BJP | Exclusive

Even as father and senior Congress leader AK Antony criticised his decision to join hands with BJP, son Anil K Antony on Thursday exclusively told CNN-News18 that his decision was “not driven by any personal animosity”. His remarks came as AK Antony said he was deeply pained by his decision to join the BJP, and that he would continue to be a Congress worker till his last breath.

“This is not because of any personal animosity, but about personal ideas. Currently, Congress is placing interests of two or three individuals over interests of the country. However, BJP is working with a very clear vision to make India a developed nation,” he said.

However, Anil Antony also said he respects his father but they share a difference of opinion politically. “My father has worked for Congress for over six decades. I grew up in a Congress family and was influenced by their ideas a lot. However, I don’t think it is the same Congress I saw growing up,” he said.

When asked to elaborate, Anil said, “At one side you have the Congress with a glorious past and history, but if you look at the last few years, there have been so many instances when the party has taken stances that are against the country’s core interests.”

Talking about BJP, Anil Antony said, “BJP has been growing exponentially, it is winning elections, it has become electoral power in states like Kerala and north eastern states.”

Hours after Anil K Antony joined the BJP in the presence of Union ministers Piyush Goyal and V Muraleedharan in New Delhi, his emotionally charged father called it a “wrong” decision.

“I am deeply pained by Anil’s decision to join the BJP. It was a wrong decision,” Antony told reporters at the KPCC headquarters here.

“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,” the Congress leader said.

The former Defence Minister said he would continue to raise his voice against the “disastrous policies of the BJP and the RSS.” Apparently responding to Anil’s allegations against the ‘Nehru-Gandhi family, Antony said his loyalty would always lie with the Nehru family, which is still at the forefront of the “fearless fight to safeguard the basic ideals of India”.

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