Manickam Tagore Slams INDIA Bloc Allies Over Congress Affairs
New Delhi/Chennai: Congress MP and Lok Sabha whip B. Manickam Tagore has taken strong exception to leaders of INDIA bloc alliance partners — including VCK, MDMK and the Communist parties — for what he described as interference in the internal affairs of the Congress party. His remarks follow media reports in which alliance leaders criticised the actions of Congress functionary Praveen Chakravarthy.
In a social media post, Mr. Tagore questioned since when alliance partners had begun dictating how the Congress should handle its internal matters. He asked whether these parties would accept similar public criticism directed at their own organisational issues. Addressing VCK MP D. Ravikumar, MDMK MP Durai Vaiko, CPI(M) state secretary P. Shanmugam and CPI state secretary M. Veerapandian, he posed a pointed query on whether they would tolerate such remarks against their respective parties.
Mr. Tagore stressed that political alliances are built on mutual respect rather than public pressure. He said differences of opinion among alliance partners should be discussed within the alliance framework and not aired through media statements. According to him, public criticism by alliance leaders sets a dangerous precedent that could weaken the collective strength of the INDIA bloc in its political contest against the BJP and RSS.
He also warned that such comments could hurt the self-respect and morale of Congress party functionaries. The Congress MP appealed to the national leadership of CPI and CPI(M) to advise their state units on maintaining basic political respect and alliance discipline.
Calling for restraint, Mr. Tagore said leaders of MDMK and VCK should ensure their MPs respect the “Lakshman Rekha” while commenting on alliance partners. He underlined that unity does not mean silence but requires discipline, patience and equal respect among all partners.
Our Final Thoughts
The episode highlights growing sensitivities within the INDIA bloc, underlining the need for clearer coordination and internal dialogue to preserve alliance cohesion ahead of key political battles.