Karat drops bombshell, CPI(M) sees red
CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat put the state unit of his party in a fix on Friday by candidly admitting that P. Sasi, who had to quit as Kannur district secretary recently, was facing serious charges of sexual harassment.
The party state leadership had been claiming Mr Sasi had to leave on ‘health’ grounds and had kept the allegations of sexual misconduct against him under wraps so far.
But Mr Karat said: “The last party state committee did discuss the matter. But owing to elections, it could not complete the probe process. The procedure will be completed and if he is found guilty, the party would take proper action. We take allegations on sexual harassment seriously.”
Mr Karat’s candour has left the CPI(M) red-faced in the context of the high-decibel campaign by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, swho has vowed to handcuff and parade perpetrators of sexual offences.
It also begs the question as to whether a responsible political party should merely conduct an internal probe on allegations of sexual misconduct against a leader.
The party has been playing a hide and seek game so far over Mr Sasi, who was the political secretary to late chief minister E.K. Nayanar.
It was not long ago that the CPI(M) had to grapple with similar charges made against central committee member W.R. Varadarajan in Tamil Nadu.
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