At INDIA Bloc meet, Left MPs object to Rahul Gandhi's 'CJP' remark in Kerala speech

New Delhi: INDIA bloc floor leaders' meeting on Monday saw the Congress-Left electoral rivalry in poll-bound Kerala spill into the office of leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge.

Left MPs John Brittas of CPI(M) and P Sandosh Kumar of CPI objected to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi dubbing the Left Democratic Front "CJP" during a recent visit to Kerala and alleging a Communist-BJP nexus.

Several participants intervened to avert a showdown, urging leaders to restrict the discussion to Parliament-related matters and not raise inter-party differences at the meeting.


Sources said Congress leader KC Venugopal objected to the Left MPs raising parts of Gandhi's speech at the meeting and indicated that he could explain what Gandhi meant if the issue was pursued. Gandhi, who was present at the meeting, took a similar stand, according to some participants. However, several leaders stepped in to steer the discussion to parliamentary matters.