Jairam Ramesh said that those who got everything from Congress are leaving it.

(file photo)

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said that non-BJP parties, which believe in unity of the opposition without making his party the pivot, are probably in "delusions".

Without naming any party, he said that many regional parties have stabbed the Congress in the back to serve their selfish interests and such parties should stop using the Congress as a 'punching bag'. There can be no unity of opposition without making Congress its axis.

Ramesh, who came to Kolkata to attend a Congress program, said in an interview to 'PTI-Bhasha', "If any non-BJP organization thinks that a coalition without Congress can give a stable government for five years. So it's like living in happiness.

There can be no unity of opposition without Congress.

Ramesh described the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as the "B team" of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"We have said earlier also, there is enough evidence to prove that AAP is the 'B team' of BJP.

If you look at its (AAP's) history or the background of its leaders, it will be known."

However, while analyzing about the Trinamool Congress (TMC), he stopped by simply saying that "it (TMC's) name has 'Congress' in its name". It is yet to be done, but I think it also has 'Congress' in its name."

Without naming anyone, Ramesh said that those who talk about unity of opposition without Congress only want to weaken the opposition front and his party (Congress).

He said, "In an alliance, you give something and get something in return.

It is a synergy.

Till now, Congress has been making sacrifices and everyone has benefited from it.

And after taking advantage, he has tried to use it as a 'punching bag' to weaken the Congress.

It has to stop now."

Describing the Congress as the main party of Indian politics, Ramesh said that no one should make the mistake of rejecting it.

About Congress' 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', he said that the result of the yatra would emerge in the form of a stronger Congress and a more durable and constructive opposition.

The former Union Environment Minister said, "We started the journey on national issues.

This country is passing through a situation where politics, economy and institutions are getting eroded due to BJP and its divisive politics.

Another objective of the yatra is to instil enthusiasm among the party workers ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Ramesh said the yatra is not aimed at the state assembly elections to prepare for the Lok Sabha elections.

To a question whether the Congress was talking of 'Bharat Jodo' while the party itself was in disarray, Ramesh said the organization was trying to fix its internal issues.

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has embarked on a 3,650 km long padyatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir on September 7.

Taking a jibe at the 'G-23' leaders of the Congress, Ramesh said senior leaders should work as 'mentors' after the age of 65.

Also, they should prepare the next generation of leaders.

He said, "Senior Congress leaders should work as mentors.

I am 68 now and I believe that I no longer have the energy I was 10 or five years ago.

After the age of 65, people in the age group of 30 to 49 years should be groomed as leaders of the next generation.

When senior leaders left the party, Ramesh said that those who got everything from the party are now leaving the Congress.

He said, "Two types of people are leaving the Congress.

There are people in the first category who have benefited a lot from the party, Ghulam Nabi Azad is an example of this.

He said, "Second category people are leaving the party to escape from the investigating agencies.

Dedicated members of Congress will never leave the party." Asked whether the idea of ​​'Bharat Jodo Yatra' was taken from the BJP's 'Ram Rath Yatra' in the 1990s, Ramesh replied 'no'. given in.