Left MPs slam Rahul Gandhi for his ‘inappropriate remarks’ against Pinarayi government

Echoes of the Kerala Assembly election were heard at the INDIA bloc meeting on Monday (March 9, 2026), where two Left MPs — Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Rajya Sabha leader John Brittas, and Communist Party of India’s (CPI) P. Sandosh Kumar — expressed their “strong disagreement” with senior Congress leader and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, over his recent remarks against the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government in Kerala. They termed the remarks “inappropriate” and argued that such comments were injurious to the unity of the INDIA bloc.

According to multiple leaders present at the meeting in Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s room, Mr. Kumar first raised the issue, describing Mr. Gandhi’s remarks against the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government as “inappropriate”. At a public meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on March 7, Mr. Gandhi, referring to 36 cases against him and a 55-hour-long Enforcement Directorate interrogation, questioned why no action had been taken against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan or his family. “The reason is that they are working together. In fact, in Kerala it is not the CPM and the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), it is the CJP,” he said, repeating a term used by the Kerala unit of the Congress — “Communist Janata Party”.

Mr. Gandhi further accused the Kerala government of working for corporate interests, suggesting they should rename themselves the “Corporatist Party of India” to better reflect their stance.

Mr. Brittas supported Mr. Kumar’s criticism, stating, sources said, that the Left parties are an integral part of the INDIA bloc, which came together in Opposition to the BJP. Making such “inappropriate remarks”, he said, on the eve of the Parliament session, when the Opposition needs to stand united, was not the right approach.

Mr. Kharge attempted to intervene, suggesting that the matter should be taken up bilaterally rather than at that forum. Mr. Gandhi, it is learnt, did not respond to Mr. Kumar and Mr. Brittas, and merely smiled.

Speaking to reporters, Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal said the Left MPs had attempted to raise the issue, but other leaders intervened, reminding them that this was not the appropriate platform. He also sought to distinguish between the regional units of the Left parties in Kerala and the national leadership of the Left parties, noting that while the Congress is contesting the regional units, it has no differences with the national parties.