Anil K Antony, the son of veteran Congress leader and former Defence Minister AK Antony, joined the BJP on Thursday, 6 April, in the presence of Union ministers Piyush Goyal and V Muraleedharan. Hours after the event, AK Antony reacted to his son joining the BJP, saying he was pained by his son's decision to join the right-wing party.
"Anil’s decision to join BJP has hurt me. It is a very wrong decision. India’s base is unity and religious harmony. After 2014, Modi govt came to power, they’re systematically diluting diversity and secularism. BJP believes only in uniformity, they’re destroying the constitutional values of the country."AK Antony
Political Differences Between Father and Son
“Till the last breath, I will oppose the wrong policies of RSS and BJP,” said AK Antony. However, Anil K Antony joined the BJP two months after he resigned from his positions in the Congress following a controversy over his comments on a BBC documentary on Gujarat riots.
Many Congressmen expressed dismay over Anil's decision, him accusing him of betraying his father.
"Today (Maundy Thursday) is the day Judas (Iscariot) betrayed Jesus Christ for a payment of 30 silver coins. Many such things will happen on that day. This (Anil joining BJP) should also be seen as such an incident."K Sudhakaran, KPCC President
Addressing the question on whether he consulted his father before taking the major decision, Anil Antony told the media how families can have different political ideologies and yet have mutual respect for each other.
"This is not about personalities, this is about difference of opinion and ideas. I strongly believe that I have taken the right step. My respect for my father will remain the same."Anil K Antony
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)