Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan defended his recent remarks about Rahul Gandhi's "old name," stating that it was in response to certain statements made by the Congress leader during campaigning in the state. Vijayan said that such conduct from the Congress leader was "completely immature" and therefore, Gandhi should not simply repeat what some of his party's leaders in the state tell him.
Vijayan was responding to a reporter's query regarding the correctness of him making such a remark when in the past the CPI(M) had taken a stand against such personal attacks. Vijayan had referred to Gandhi's old name on April 19 a day after the Congress leader had wondered why the Marxist veteran was not jailed by the BJP government at the Centre, unlike two other Chief Ministers of opposition-ruled states.
The Kerala CM, during his press meet on Tuesday, also justified the allegedly objectionable remarks made by LDF MLA P V Anvar against Gandhi. Vijayan said that the Congress leader should realize that when he says something, "he will receive it back in kind." Anvar recently had allegedly referred to Gandhi as a "fourth class citizen", someone who is not eligible to use the Gandhi suffix along with his name and that the Congress leader should "undergo a DNA test".