Anil Antony, the son of veteran Congress leader AK Antony, has joined the BJP

Anil Antony, the son of Congress veteran AK Antony, resigned from the party following a squabble over a tweet criticising a BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Anil Antony, the son of Congress veteran AK Antony, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday. In the presence of Union ministers Piyush Goyal and V Muraleedharan, he was inducted into the party.

“Today, several Congress workers and leaders believe that working for a family is their “dharma.” After joining the BJP, Anil Antony stated, “My ‘dharma’ is to work for the country.”

Anil Antony, the digital media convenor of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and the national coordinator of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), had left the Grand Old Party following a squabble over his opposition to a BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Despite significant differences with the BJP, I believe that those in India prioritising the views of the BBC, a UK state-sponsored channel with a long history of prejudices, and of Jack Straw, the brain behind the Iraq war, over institutions is setting a dangerous precedent that will undermine our sovereignty,” he had tweeted, sparking controversy.

He had stated that his decision was prompted by “intolerant calls” for him to retract or change his tweet, as well as “abuses” against him on social media, including from within the party.

The BBC documentary ‘India: The Modi Question,’ which chronicled the events of the 2002 Gujarat riots while Narendra Modi was the chief minister, sparked a massive uproar in India. The Centre had the documentary removed from YouTube and other social media platforms, a move that was criticised by the opposition. The Congress had also spoken out against the move, calling it censorship.