Ousted former CPM Ernakulam district secretary Gopi Kottamurikkal has said he abides by the party’s decision, but vowed to continue his fight against “criminals out to destroy the party.”
Gopi told the media from his residence in Muvattupuzha that the party decision, taken on Sunday, was yet to be conveyed to him. He stuck to his stand that former minister S. Sarma, former Rajya Sabha member K. Chandran Pillai and party central committee member M.C. Josephine conspired against him.
They “worked behind the curtain” and instigated a few people” in the party office here to use hidden cameras. They raised charges against him including one of an “illicit relationship” with a woman. However, though these leaders sided with V.S. Achuthanandan, Gopi said it was unlikely they did these with the knowledge of the senior leader.
On whether there was any truth in the charges against him, he said if the party found him wrong, he would accept it. “It is the party with which I have been associated for around 44 years, that has helped me rise to such levels. And it would be unfair to speak against such a party when it found fault with me…. For one year, I was tortured,” Gopi said.
However, he reiterated his charges against Sarma and Pillai, that they helped in the land filling for a private firm near the Kochi airport.
Gopi said he had raised all these issues with the inquiry commission appointed by the party. And when, during the last Lok Sabha elections, the party failed to ensure the victory of its candidate Sindhu Joy, who lost to K.V. Thomas, Josephine as chairperson of the Greater Cochin Development Authority arranged a reception for Thomas, he said.
The party district committee meeting on Wednesday would officially convey the ouster decision after which Gopi said he would come out “against criminals who want to destroy the party.”