"Anil Antony's decision must not be linked with AK Antony": Congress leader Ambika Soni

New Delhi [India], April 6 : After former Defence Minister AK Antony's son l Antony joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), senior Congress leader Ambika Soni on Thursday said that his decision to join BJP must not be linked with his father.

She said that it is sad that l Antony is going to work for those who are "dividing" the country.

"We must not link this decision of l Antony with AK Antony. It's sad to see that a man from such a family by giving this small excuse is going to work for those who are dividing the country," the Congress leader said while speaking to .

l K Antony, the son of veteran Congress leader A K Antony, on Thursday joined the BJP in the presence of Union ministers Piyush Goyal and V Muraleedharan.

However, AK Antony said he was hurt by his son's "very wrong decision" to join the BJP.

Following l Antony's induction into the BJP, AK Antony said the Narendra Modi government is systematically diluting diversity and secularism and destroying constitutional values in the country.

"I am pained by my son l's decision to join the BJP. I strongly feel it is a very wrong decision. India's base is unity and religious harmony. After 2014, when the Modi government came to power, they are systematically diluting diversity and secularism," AK Antony, considered a close aide of the Gandhi family, told reporters here.

Meanwhile, l Antony thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his induction into BJP.

After joining BJP, l Antony met party chief JP Nadda along with Union Minister V Muraleedharan.

The development comes months after l Antony, who was a Kerala Congress Social Media Team Coordinator, resigned from all posts of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee in January following the row over BBC's documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He strongly criticised the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which was apparently a move against the party lines.