The Tamil Nadu Congress has issued a show cause notice to senior party leader Karti Chidambaram over his alleged remarks on the popularity of Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“PM Modi is more popular than Rahul Gandhi,” Karti, son of Congress veteran and former Union minister P. Chidambaram, said during an interview with Thanthi TV.
Karti, in the same interview, also expressed his trust in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)—a stand contrary to what the party has been taking on the issue over the years.
The party’s state unite in its notice has asked the MP to respond in 10 days.
Media reports, however, quoted sources close to the Sivaganga MP as saying that only the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has the authority to issue notice to a member of parliament.
The party insiders told NDTV that the showcause notice might be an attempt to thwart Karti Chidambaram's potential elevation as the Tamil Nadu Congress president.
Karti’s remarks praising Modi came a week after he was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the issuing of visas to some Chinese nationals in 2011.
