Chennai: Senior Congress leader Karti Chidambaram, the son of former Union minister P Chidambaram, has been issued a showcause notice by the party over his alleged comments on Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the same interview, he allegedly conveyed faith in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
The development comes at a time the Congress has been actively opposing the use of EVMs, citing concerns about their reliability. Karti Chidambaram's divergence from the party's narrative seems to have triggered this internal scrutiny.
The notice issued by former MLA K R Ramasamy as part of the disciplinary committee seeks his response in 10 days.
In the interview, responding to a specific question on if Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge would be a match for PM Modi, Mr Chidambaram said, "None would match one on one with BJP's propaganda machinery".
When the interviewer followed with the question "Even Rahul Gandhi", he added: "As far as I am concerned, with his propaganda machinery and natural advantage as Prime Minister it is difficult. But with issues we can defeat the BJP, with electoral arithmetic and messaging. As a political party we can defeat BJP".
Karti Chidambaram further said, "Although PM Modi's popularity is a factor and if you ask me to create a match, I'm unable to give a name immediately. As far as the Congress is concerned, if you ask the ground workers, they are keen to filed Rahul Gandhi".
Sources close to Karti Chidambaram have asserted that only the All India Congress Committee (AICC) holds the authority to issue a notice to a Member of Parliament. The Tamil Nadu Congress, however, has taken the unprecedented step, leading to speculation about its motives.