Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi’s remarks at a student interaction in Chennai have sparked unease among sections of the Tamil Nadu Congress, after he did not refer to former chief minister Kamaraj or the achievements of the Congress government led by him.
Rahul attended the Congress-organised programme titled “Students’ Voice” at the Island Grounds. Students reportedly waited for hours amid claims that Chief Minister Vijay would also attend, but Rahul arrived late, around 7 pm, and the chief minister did not turn up.
With the chief minister’s absence confirmed, many students began leaving, and the turnout when Rahul reached the venue was said to be lower than expected.
During his speech, Rahul spoke appreciatively about E V Ramasamy (Periyar), who had once called for the Congress to be eliminated, and said he was proud to speak about him to students. However, he did not mention Kamaraj, widely seen as the Congress’s key face in Tamil Nadu, leading to shock and dissatisfaction within party circles.
Separately, videos showing senior leaders including Thirunavukkarasar, minister Rajeshkumar and former Puducherry chief minister Vaidilingam appearing to doze off at the event have gone viral on social media, fuelling internal exchanges between supporters and rival groups linked to Tamil Nadu Congress leader Manickam Tagore.
