Setting herself firmly against ‘saffronisation,’ actor-politician Khushboo said she definitely joined the Congress for her “sensibilities” and for a secular country.
In her “homecoming” speech at the TNCC headquarters here on Saturday, the actor said only the Congress worked for a unified India without resorting to “colour” or “caste.”
Stating that she continued to be a Muslim , Ms. Kushboo added that she was inspired by the Congress very early in life and would never accept ‘saffronisation.’ Five years ago, she chose the wrong path and lost her way. But, this was definitely a homecoming.
Ms. Khushboo was unwilling to talk about why she quit the DMK for which she was a star campaigner. “No one needs to know why I quit,” she said, refusing to even compare the DMK and the Congress. Like any other Congress leader, she said she would abide by the directions of the party high-command.
While she claimed that she was not interested in party posts, TNCC president EVKS Elangovan said both Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi were very happy to welcome Ms. Khushboo to the party. “She will certainly play a role at the national level. In fact, Mr. Rahul Gandhi complemented Ms. Kushboo on her intelligence,” Mr. Elangovan said.
For her part, Ms. Khushboo said she was in for the long haul and would work at the grassroots level to improve the prospects of the party. She said the UPA had been helpful to the Sri Lankan Tamils and reaffirmed that the Congress was only against terror outfits, particularly the LTTE.
