New Delhi | Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) MP N K Premchandran on Sunday defended Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remark that he fights the RSS and the CPI(M) ideologically, saying that there is nothing controversial about it.
"There is nothing controversial in it, because what Rahul Gandhi has said is the factual situation. This is an observation regarding two political outfits or two organizations," said Premchandran whose party is an ally of the Congress-led United Democratic Front in Kerala.
"How can it be said that both organisations (RSS and CPI-M) are similar, or they are the same? It is misinterpretation (of Gandhi's remark)," the RSP MP told PTI.
"Actually what he has said, we have read in media, is that RSS as well as CPI(M) is not understanding the real factual situation. What is the harm in it?" he said.
In Kerala's Kottayam on Friday, Gandhi said that he fights the RSS and the CPI(M) ideologically, but his biggest complaint about them was their lack of feelings for the people.
CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby slammed Gandhi over the remarks, and said the statement betrayed the absence of a correct understanding of the role of CPI(M) and RSS in Kerala or India.
He also said the statement was unfortunate in the context of Kerala, where the CPI(M) has been in the forefront of fighting the RSS ideologically and politically.
Asked about Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's remarks that nation comes first and parties are the means of making the country better, Premchandran said every party is standing for the national interest.
"My point is that every party is standing for the national interest and the people's interest. That is the basic concept and purpose of a political party," he said.
"If that be the case, how can the political party's interest be against the national interest? Nation's interest is the prime responsibility or the prime mission of every political party," the RSP leader said.
"So Congress stands for the national interest. It stood for the political independence of India and subsequent to that more than six decades Congress has ruled this country. It is for the betterment of the nation," he said.
He questioned what Tharoor was trying to say.
"It indirectly means that the Congress party is not having the national interest, he is having the national interest. That is the interpretation which I can make," he said, adding that it is not correct.
Tharoor, the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, said at a private event in Kochi on Saturday that the objective of a party is to create a better India and parties have the right to disagree on the best way to do that.
He had also said that he will stand his ground regarding supporting the nation's armed forces and the government as he believes "this is the right thing for the country".