MA Baby accuses Rahul Gandhi of double standards

Communist Party of India General Secretary (Marxist) MA Baby shares a light moment with Communist Party of India State Secretary Binoy Viswam at the inauguration of EMS Memorial organized by COSTFORD in Thrissur on Saturday. Economist Prabhat Patnaik and CPI(M) Thrissur district secretary KV Abdul Khader are also seen. | Photo credit: KK NAJEEB

Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) General Secretary MA Baby on Saturday (June 13, 2026) launched a scathing attack on Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of double standards and indirectly aiding the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government’s actions against opposition party leaders.

Reacting to Rahul Gandhi’s reported remarks at the recent INDIA Bloc meeting that he “cannot hug former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan” due to lingering political differences, Mr Baby said no one asked Mr Gandhi to hug the Kerala leader. “No one is asking Mr. Gandhi to embrace Mr. Vijayan. On the contrary, all we are asking is that he stop being a go-between for the executive directorate and the Modi government by demanding the arrest of Mr. Vijayan and other opposition leaders. That is not the job of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha,” Mr. Baby told mediapersons at the Thrisme (EMS) event on the EMS Smriti side.

He further criticized Mr Gandhi for allegedly creating conditions that allowed central agencies to target opposition leaders. “Mr Gandhi should not become a person who facilitates the hunting of opposition leaders by central agencies on behalf of the Narendra Modi government,” he said.

Mr. Baby poked at Mr. Gandhi’s old gesture in Parliament of hugging the Prime Minister. “The country saw Mr. Gandhi running to embrace Mr. Modi in Parliament. If he can embrace a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader like Mr. Modi, how come he can’t do the same with Mr. Vijayan citing political differences?” Mr. Baby asked.

Political dignity

Mr. Baby also emphasized the need to maintain political dignity within the INDIA alliance, noting that the various parties often competed with each other in different states. “There are political norms and standards that should be followed when criticizing. Leaders at the national level should exercise restraint and maintain decorum,” he said, adding that criticism should not cross the lines of mutual respect.

Mr. Baby rejected claims of any understanding between the CPI(M) and the BJP, terming such claims as “baseless”. He also claimed that no other party has fought the BJP as consistently as the CPI(M).

Cong. relations with the DMK

Referring to the dynamics of the INDIA alliance, Mr. Baby pointed out that the Congress benefited from its partnership with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu. “The Congress secured five seats as part of the DMK-led alliance and even won a Rajya Sabha seat with its support,” he noted, adding that such cooperation should be given due respect.

Mr. Baby criticized the Congress’ tie-up with the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Tamil Nadu and warned against too much hunger for power.

Viswam calls for introspection

At the event, Communist Party of India (CPI) State Secretary Binoy Viswam called for serious introspection within the Left following the recent election debacle in Kerala. “Minority communities once saw the communists as their protectors. They stood with us, but not anymore. We should investigate why they moved out,” he said.

Calling for remedial measures, Mr. Viswam said the Left should restore the lost links. “We should learn from this defeat. The bridge that temporarily collapsed should be rebuilt. We lost because those who were once close to us voted differently,” he added.

Published – 13 Jun 2026 20:46 IST