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Bend It Like Tom Vadakkan! New BJP Recruit Makes U-Turn On Pulwama

After joining the BJP, Vadakkan said he was “sad” about the Congress’ reaction on the Pulwama attack.

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Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan, once an aide of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, joined the BJP on Thursday, 14 March. Soon after joining the BJP, he attacked his former party for its stand on Balakot air strikes.

Vadakkan said, "I am deeply hurt and that is why I am here." Alleging that the Congress questioned the integrity of armed forces, he said, "The attack by Pakistan on our land and the reaction from my party was sad indeed."

"I left the party with heavy heart. If a party is working against national interest, there there is no other option but to leave it," he told reporters.

‘Not us, BJP is Politicising Pulwama Attack’

However, less than 10 days ago, on 5 March at the AICC headquarters, while speaking to The Quint, Vadakkan criticised the BJP government at the Centre for seeking to garner votes in the name of the armed forces, by politicising the aftermath of the Pulwama attack and the subsequent air strikes.

Vadakkan said, "The Army, the Navy and the Air Force, we hold them in high respect, and they don't need promptings of nationalism to act. These are institutions we have trusted and depended on since ages, and we have never used them for politicising or trying to get votes. This attempt to politicise and to use them to garner votes is an attempt by the current government. But we (the Congress) are not saying this. Who is saying this? The president of BJP Karnataka is saying it."

He was referring to BS Yeddyurappa's comment that thanks to the air strikes, the BJP will win 22 seats out of 28 in Karnataka in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

This is not the only time when Vadakkan voiced his criticism against the BJP over the Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF jawans on 14 February and the fallout with Pakistan thereafter.

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‘Where is BJP Getting Balakot Air Strikes Casualty Figures From?

On 5 March, while questioning the casualty figures given out by top BJP leader, Vadakkan told ANI, “BJP leaders are giving different figures on causality due to IAF air strike in Balakot. Where did they get the figures from? Were there friends in Pakistan who told them that this is the figure otherwise how could they get the figures? When the IAF says very categorically that they hit the targets and it is not their business to get the figures. These kind of arguments are applicable to the BJP. If a conspiracy theories have to be hatched, we will say those body counts came to them from Pakistan itself.”

‘Why Was PM Modi Missing in Action After the Pulwama Attack?’

On 21 February, while speaking to ANI, questioned the activities of PM Narendra Modi in the hours following the Pulwama attack. “Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad, the law minister, must stop summarising. The question we are asking when the whole country, the leaders of the Opposition united and went  had a meeting where was the prime minister. Why was he missing in action? He was busy shooting for a discovery channel film. Feeding crocodiles is more important for him than the lives of these soldiers. He went on for rallies. He had time for everything but not to attend an all party meeting which was wanted for this purpose. Mr Prasad says he was doing his prime minister duty. Shooting for a film is part of his prime minister duty?”

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Vadakkan has very often been a vocal critic of PM Narendra Modi and the BJP. In a report published in The Times of India, as recently as 13 March, Vadakkan noted that the BJP going on a spree of alliances is “not a good indicator” for a party that claims good and strong governance for the past five years.

He told TOI, “The BJP entering into seat-sharing arrangements is good optics for its workers. But it gives the impression that the structure of the party is weak. The moves do not stem from a position of strength.”

Moments after the announcement, to point the irony, Twitter dug out an old tweet by Vadakkan that criticises inaction against former TMC MLA and Saradha scam accused Mukul Roy after he joined the BJP.

To a tweet, “Trinamool's Mukul Roy who is now BJP's Mukul Roy is also an accused in #Saradha case. Wonder why no one is questioning him anymore,” journalist Nikhil Wagle replied, “That’s why he defected to BJP!” Vadakkan quote tweeted Wagle and wrote, “ Once you join BJP all your crimes are cleansed.”

After joining the BJP, Vadakkan said he was “sad” about the Congress’ reaction on the Pulwama attack.

The BJP may field Vadakkan in the Lok Sabha elections from a seat in Kerala.

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Topics:  Tom Vadakkan   Pulwama Attack 

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