Celebrated Malayalam writer T Padmanabhan on Sunday slammed the Congress leadership's style of functioning which has resulted in the almost extinction of the party's support base in the country.
Padmanabhan attacked the party at a Congress function in Kochi. Identifying himself as a Congressman to the core, the writer said some people keep clinging to power.
Padmanabhan was inaugurating the Paul P Mani library and Sabarmathi Study and Research Centre set up at the District Congress Committee office in Ernakulam.
He was critical of Rahul Gandhi for failing in Amethi, his family's fiefdom in Uttar Pradesh. "I have never been a fan of Smriti Irani. I will never be one. But I admire her for one thing. She went back to Amethi even after losing in election there and won next time. Rahul Gandhi thought he could keep winning from there but he had to come to Wayanad to win," the writer said.
He was at his sarcastic best when he mentioned Robert Vadra's reported plans to join politics. "That's only what we have been missing," he said. He also took a jibe at a senior Congress leader, without mentioning his name, for his reported attempts to lobby for the lone Rajya Sabha seat the party could win from Kerala in the upcoming elections.
"Some green sprouts of life (of Congress) is only remaining in Kerala. We should think of what will happen if Congress is gone from Kerala also," he said.
"I'm speaking as one among you. At 93, I'm one of the oldest Congressman in the country," he said.
Congress leaders, including Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan, was on the dais when Padmanabhan made the sharp criticism.
Satheesan said the party welcomed Padmanabhan's criticism. "When those at leadership makes mistakes, they will be criticised. The party needs a framework of thinking people who should not become stooges of leaders," he said.
The Paul P Mani library, a brainchild of DCC president Mohammed Shiyas, has around 25,000 books. It will be open to public also.
Writer K L Mohana Varma, Hibi Eden MP, MLAs K Babu and Anwar Sadath and KPCC vice president V T Balram attended the function among others.
