In yet another defeat for the Congress, former Defence Minister AK Antony’s son Anil Antony joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday in Delhi.
In the company of Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and V Muraleedharan, Anil Antony joined the BJP. Kerala BJP chief K Surendran, as well as top party leaders Tarun Chugh and Anil Baluni, were in attendance. Anil Antony expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for including him in the BJP.
The development comes months after Anil Antony, a Kerala Congress Social Media Team Coordinator, withdrew from all positions on the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee in January following a disagreement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a BBC documentary about the 2002 Gujarat riots.
He slammed a BBC program about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Anthony had called the BBC a “state-sponsored channel with a long history of prejudices” against India.
“Despite significant differences with the BJP, I believe that those in India elevating the views of the BBC, a UK state-sponsored channel with a long history of prejudices, and of Jack Straw, the brains behind the Iraq war, above Indian institutions, are setting a dangerous precedent that will undermine our sovereignty,” Anthony tweeted.
He then claimed that he had gotten threats and hate messages all night.
While tweeting about his resignation, Antony mocked the Congress party, claiming that he had received intolerant requests to retract a tweet from those “fighting for free speech.”
“I have resigned from my positions at @incindia and @INCKerala.” Those fighting for free expression issue intolerant calls to retract a tweet. I declined. @facebook hate/abuse wall by supporters of a trek to spread the love! Hypocrisy, what is your name? “Life goes on,” tweeted Anil K Antony.
The news arrives just one year before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.