Kozhikode (Kerala) | Left veteran Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying his political approach does not strengthen the INDIA alliance and often ends up helping the BJP.

Responding to a question about Rahul Gandhi's reported remark at an INDIA alliance meeting that he would not hug Vijayan due to their political rivalry in Kerala, the former CM said he was not concerned about who hugs whom.

"But we all saw the photograph of Rahul Gandhi hugging Narendra Modi. My objection is not to the act of hugging Modi itself. Rather, his remarks represent a particular political message. It reflects Rahul Gandhi's approach and how he views the INDIA alliance," Vijayan said.

The senior CPI(M) leader said the matter required detailed discussion and that he would not go into it at length now.

He said the INDIA alliance had reached a particular stage today.

"It is not only us, but also leaders such as Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, along with other major non-Congress parties, who raised objections during the meeting and spoke against the Congress position," he said.

He added that people could see where the DMK stands now.

"The current situation has been created by the Congress party's approach, particularly by Rahul Gandhi's approach. The reality is that this approach does not strengthen the INDIA alliance. As I have said before, it often ends up helping the BJP. Through such actions, Rahul Gandhi is creating a situation where he effectively becomes a facilitator of the BJP's interests," Vijayan said.

During the Assembly election campaign, both Vijayan and Gandhi had targeted each other in their speeches.

Meanwhile, CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby said that, given the political and social realities in Kerala, it , Jun 13 (PTI) would not have been possible for Rahul Gandhi to embrace Pinarayi Vijayan.

Baby said that, as CPI(M) General Secretary, he had written to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on the issue. Portions of the letter were also reported in the media.

"What I pointed out was that, considering the specific political circumstances in different states, it is quite natural that parties within the INDIA bloc may find themselves politically opposed to one another in certain states. The CPI(M) had contributed significantly to the formation of the INDIA bloc, and we recognised this reality from the very beginning," he said.

He said that even when parties criticise one another because of unavoidable political circumstances in particular states, certain standards of political decency and dignity must be maintained.

"That was the essence of what I said. Especially when we are confronting a major challenge at the national level, such standards should be observed," he said.

Baby said the CPI(M) never demanded that Rahul Gandhi should embrace anyone.

"An embrace is not something that can be forced; it is a gesture of affection and goodwill that comes naturally.

"But why did Rahul Gandhi, as Leader of the Opposition, ask why central agencies were not acting against the then chief minister(Pinarayi Vijayan)? Why did he question why the ED was not registering cases and conducting raids?" he asked.

Baby said the same question arises in other contexts as well.

When the Aam Aadmi Party, led by Arvind Kejriwal, was part of the INDIA bloc, the Congress did not oppose the allegations and actions against it, he alleged.

"Yet, in the end, the trial court exonerated him and cleared him of those accusations," he said.

He also referred to the case against online news portal NewsClick, alleging that false cases were being registered.

"Now, what has the High Court said? Even the charge sheet submitted by the investigating agency failed to establish any recognisable offence. The court found it to be an incoherent charge sheet that did not contain a sustainable criminal case. This is the broader pattern of what is happening in the country now," he said.

Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas, who represented CPI(M) at the INDIA bloc meeting, said only a nine-minute video of Rahul Gandhi's remarks was released, whereas the entire discussion lasted around three hours.

He said Gandhi's concluding remarks should be viewed in the context of those discussions.

"Gandhi’s statements contained contradictions. While Gandhi reportedly called for ending differences and fostering unity among opposition parties, he simultaneously maintained that the political battle against the Left in Kerala would continue," he said.

According to Brittas, opposition leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, occupy their positions with the support of several parties, including the Left, which has 15 MPs in Parliament.

He argued that repeated allegations in Kerala that the CPI(M) has an understanding with the BJP undermine the very foundation of the INDIA alliance, whose primary objective is to oppose the BJP.

"If a constituent of the alliance is accused of having an arrangement with the BJP, it weakens the bloc itself," he said.

Brittas said he raised several concerns and claimed that leaders from other parties, including the Samajwadi Party, RJD, NCP and others, had expressed similar views during the meeting.

He said CPI leader D Raja had asked Rahul Gandhi during the meeting why he claimed that Left parties were no longer Left in Kerala.

"On this, he said that the Adani Group was allowed into Kerala by the LDF government. But we told him to get the facts right, as Adani Group ventures in Kerala had started during the UDF government's tenure," Brittas said.