AK Antony’s son: Cyberbullying, expulsion threats from Kerala leaders forced Congress exit

Anil K Antony

Anil K Antony, son of former defence minister AK Antony, alleged he was threatened with “expulsion” by senior Congress leaders of Kerala over his tweet, in which he denounced a BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a conversation with Moneycontrol, the junior Antony said: “There was pressure from office-bearers and senior leaders of Kerala to remove the tweet or I will face expulsion.”

In his tweet on January 24, he said the BBC documentary, ‘India: The Modi Question’, is setting a dangerous precedent and undermines India’s sovereignty.

Also Read | Dangerous precedence: AK Antony's son on BBC documentary on PM Modi

Anil K Antony, who was handling the digital communications of the Indian National Congress and its state unit in Kerala, resigned from the party on January 25.

Cyberbullying 

“There was a vicious cyberattack on my Facebook account. I still have proof of rude messages sent on WhatsApp by various leaders of Congress. Whatever happened was disrespectful and it’s the right time for me to move on,” said Anil.

The former Congress leader also alleged he was cyberbullied during the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections for putting out his views to make changes in the party functioning.

“When I had expressed my views on the internal politics of the Congress in Kerala, I was cyberbullied by key leaders of the party. Again, I have been criticised for expressing my views. I am disheartened by such kind of people and not interested in politics anymore,” Anil added.

No consultation with AK Antony  

The junior Antony said he did not speak to his father regarding the controversy that snowballed after his tweet and did not consult him before resigning from the party.

“As I started receiving messages and calls, I made up my mind to focus on my profession. Moreover, my father was at our native place to attend a wedding. I did not want to bother him needlessly. Also, I am not looking for any reconciliation to join the party again,” Anil said.

According to Antony, he is a tech entrepreneur and currently a member of the board of advisors at a management school in University of California, Merced, US.

Praise for Tharoor 

In the party presidential elections held in 2022, Anil Antony was supporting senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor.

“With Tharoor contesting Congress’ presidential elections, we were trying to make a change. I stood with him, hoping something better will happen, but ended up being criticised by many people in the party,” the junior Antony said.

He agreed to have a detailed conversation with Tharoor, who also gave him friendly advice.

“After my resignation, Shashi Tharoor called me and I explained to him all the problems I have faced. He gave me some friendly advice, which I won’t disclose, but it was worth it. I appreciate his gesture,” said Anil Antony.

Bharat Jodo Yatra 

Anil Antony, who entered Congress politics in 2017, ahead of the Assembly elections in Gujarat, did not join the Bharat Jodo Yatra in any state. He says being a professional, he was busy with work. The Yatra, led by Rahul Gandhi, was in Kerala for 19 days and covered seven districts before entering Karnataka.

“I did not join Bharat Jodo Yatra, but that doesn’t mean I was never committed to party affairs. Whatever tasks I were given, I have done them. It was my own conviction,” said Anil.

He also said he doesn’t have any grudge against the central leadership and has love and respect for Rahul Gandhi.

“I have high regards for the central leadership, especially Rahul Gandhi. Bharat Jodo Yatra is a decent initiative to unite people against hatred, but I feel bad that many of his men have not come out of that hate,” said the junior Antony.

Resignation

He had written two resignation letters --  one was addressed to Congress’ Kerala state president K Sudhakaran and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor, and the other to party leaders Jairam Ramesh and KC Venugopal.

“I am sure I have my own unique strengths which could have enabled me to contribute very effectively to the party in several ways. However, by now, I have been made well aware that you, your colleagues and the coterie around the leadership are only keen to work with a bunch of sycophants and chamchas, who would unquestionably be at your beck and call. This has become the lone criterion of merit. Sadly, we don’t have much common ground,” he wrote in his resignation letter.