00:00Let's move on now to Kerala, where again, you've got elections coming up in just about one and a half
00:06months.
00:07There's a political storm that's erupted within the Congress, within the UDF, triggered by party veteran Manish Shankar Iyer.
00:14During his Kerala visit, Iyer lodged sharp attacks on his own party.
00:17He openly praised Pinaray Vijayan and M.K. Stalin for their leadership.
00:22The Congress has distanced themselves, saying they have absolutely nothing to do with Manish Shankar Iyer or his comments, saying
00:27it's personal comments.
00:28But the reality is that he took that a step forward to even go ahead and call KC Venagopalo Rowdy.
00:34Listener.
00:37Please, sir, pick up the baited that the Congress has dropped.
00:44Party veteran Manish Shankar Iyer has triggered a major political embarrassment for the grand old party.
00:55Can you imagine what is the condition of a party?
00:58Which raises a rowdy, like KC Venagopal, to the level of the Sardar Patel to Rahul Gandhi.
01:08He launched sharp attacks on the Congress, Rahul Gandhi and even the Kerala unit.
01:14Even as he openly praised Kerala CM, Pinaray Vijayan and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.
01:21In the presence of the Chief Minister, who I'm sure will be the next Chief Minister,
01:29I renew my plea that in order to reinforce Kerala as the best Panchayati Raj state in the country,
01:40if the India bloc is consolidated, and I think the best man to consolidate it is M.K. Stalin.
01:51Speaking to India today, he doubled down on his charges and reiterated support for Pinaray.
01:57Two civil servants, they laid down what were the achievements of the Pinaray government.
02:04And therefore, it does not seem to me that such an intelligent electorate, as in Kerala,
02:13will vote for anyone else.
02:16I may want them to vote for the UDF, but they're just too intelligent to be cheated.
02:23So they're going to vote for the UDF.
02:26As the controversy grew, the Congress moved swiftly to distance itself from the leader.
02:32Kera said Iyer has had no connection with the party for years.
02:36And Venu Gopal echoed that line, calling Iyer's remarks as personal opinion.
02:51A firestorm, old fault lines exposed.
02:58And another movement of damage control for the grand old party, as crucial state polls loom.
03:04The question now, will the Congress prove Manish Shankar Iyer wrong, or will his words turn prophetic?
03:13Bureau Report, India Today.
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