Mani Shankar Aiyar Blasts Congress-TVK Tie-Up, Calls It ‘Immoral’

Aiyar also questioned the political calculations behind the move, saying the Congress expected other smaller allies in the DMK alliance to also leave, but that did not happen.

Speaking in Delhi, Aiyar said the Congress had abandoned the moral foundations associated with Gandhi by deciding to “jump ship” and join the TVK after opposing the party in the previous election.

Source : PTI

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Congress leader Aiyar calls alliance with TVK immoral, flawed.
• Gandhi's principle of 'government by morality' violated.
• Alliance seen as opportunistic, politically unwise move.

Veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has sharply criticised his own party over its decision to ally with Vijay’s TVK in Tamil Nadu, calling the move immoral, politically flawed and contrary to the principles laid down by Mahatma Gandhi.

Speaking in Delhi, Aiyar said the Congress had abandoned the moral foundations associated with Gandhi by deciding to “jump ship” and join the TVK after opposing the party in the previous election.

‘Swaraj Should Mean Government By Morality’

Referring to Gandhi’s writings, Aiyar said, “In November 1925, a hundred years ago, Mahatma Gandhi laid down the injunction in his Gujarati magazine, Navjeevan, that Swaraj should mean government by morality.”

He added, “And it is this injunction that has been violated by the Congress Party, Mahatma Gandhi's party, in the recent decision to jump ship and join the TVK. After having opposed the TVK in the last election.”

‘Politics Of Expediency Is Not The Way Forward’

The senior Congress leader criticised the alliance as opportunistic politics.

“Such politics of expediency is not the way forward.”

Aiyar also questioned the political calculations behind the move, saying the Congress expected other smaller allies in the DMK alliance to also leave, but that did not happen.

‘We Are Left Absolutely In Limbo’

Criticising the strategic fallout of the alliance shift, Aiyar said, “There's also a certain political flat-footedness involved in this decision because we thought that by defecting from the DMK alliance, the other smaller members of the alliance, smaller even than us, would also defect, but none of them has defected.”

VIDEO | Delhi: Veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar criticizes his own party for deciding to ally with the TVK in Tamil Nadu, says, "In November 1925, a hundred years ago, Mahatma Gandhi laid down the injunction in his Gujarati magazine, Navjeevan, that Swaraj should mean… pic.twitter.com/ZNtI8s531W

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He further added, “And therefore, we are left absolutely in limbo, we have committed the immorality of joining Vijay but also committed the political stupidity of not ensuring that he has a majority.”

‘Hung Assembly, And We Are Hanging In The Air’

Aiyar said the outcome had left the Congress politically stranded.

“So, there is a hung assembly, and we are hanging in the air. Is this either good sense or good politics or good morality? What criterion is satisfied by this kind of politics of expediency?”

He concluded by saying, “I don't think we can move forward with this kind of politics.”