Following the Friday interview, the Madhya Pradesh unit of the Samajwadi Party (SP), which is at loggerheads with the Congress in Madhya Pradesh over seats, posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that the other party was “working on the agenda of the BJP”.
“It was unanimously decided in the meeting of INDIA alliance that representatives of the parties…will not attend any program of few journalists who debate on the agenda of BJP, nor will they be invited,” read the post.
The SP added that the former chief minister is roaming in the election campaign “carrying the journalist ostracised by India alliance, with him”.
“Congress party itself is not honest with the fellow parties of India alliance,” it added.
Leader of another alliance partner, the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference’s Omar Abdullah, while not attacking the Congress, said that the boycott list had “died its own death”.
Taking to X, the former CM said, “So much for a stupid list boycotting anchors”.
However, the Congress did not see any issue with the interview.
Speaking to ThePrint, chairman, media department, Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee, K.K. Mishra said, “We are not able enough to comment on Kamal Nath ji’s stand. But if he has given it (interview), soch samajh ke hi diya hoga (must have done so after due thought).”
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The boycott list & the SP-Congress tiff
In a statement issued in September this year, the INDIA alliance’s coordination committee had said it had been decided not send their representative to shows and events of 14 senior anchors including the likes of Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami, Bharat24’s Rubika Liyaquat, India Today-Aaj Tak’s Sudhir Chaudhury and TimesNow group editor Navika Kumar.
Now following Nath’s interview with Kumar, Mishra responded to the SP’s allegations against the Congress saying, “Their candidates are fighting here (Madhya Pradesh), so they will naturally say it.”
In the run-up to the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, the SP and the Congress had a disagreement over seat-sharing. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has been openly critical of the Congress since.
Addressing a rally in MP’s Chandla constituency Friday, Yadav was quoted in the media as saying, “The BJP and the Congress both have the same principles. Those who were in the Congress at any time, they too reached the BJP… and the BJP people reached the Congress.”
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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