Thiruvananthapuram: The CPM on Tuesday said the party was not against the Bharat Jodo Yatra but would respond to any unfair criticism or unsavoury remarks made against it or the LDF.
The response came a day after the CPM and Congress exchanged salvos regarding the number of days MP Rahul Gandhi would spend in Kerala as compared to Uttar Pradesh for the yatra.
CPM state secretary M V Govindan told reporters that the party was not against the yatra or any democratic process associated with it.
"However, if the party, Left Democratic Front (LDF) or the Left as a whole is criticised unfairly or any inappropriate remarks are made against it, then we will respond accordingly. That is our stand," he said.
Earlier in the day, former Kerala Finance Minister and senior CPM leader Thomas Isaac took to Twitter to criticise Jairam Ramesh, Congress General Secretary in charge of Communications, for his 'MunduModi' remark, which was an apparent jibe at Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Terming it an "unprovoked insult" on the Kerala CM, Isaac too asked why the Congress was spending 18 days in Kerala by avoiding Gujarat and UP and whom it was trying to unite with such a strategy.
"Dear Rameshji, I was amazed at your response. Why unprovoked insult on Kerala CM? Not an auspicious start to a Jodo Yatra. And the question still remains unanswered. Whom are you trying to unite by touring Kerala for 18 days while avoiding Gujarat and UP? Anyway, happy journey," Isaac tweeted.
The CPM on Monday had criticised the Congress party's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', saying spending 18 days in Left-ruled Kerala and just two in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh is a "strange way to fight BJP-RSS".
The CPM had tweeted a caricature of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with the text wondering if it was a "Bharat Jodo" or "Seat Jodo" campaign. "18 days in Kerala...2 days in UP. Strange way to fight BJP-RSS," read the text.
The image also carried maps of Kerala and Uttar Pradesh illustrating the difference in their size.
Responding to the tweet, Jairam Ramesh said, "Do your homework better on how and why yatra was planned the way it is. And silly criticism from a party that is the A team of the BJP in the land of MunduModi.”
(With PTI inputs)
