CPM censures Achuthanandan publicly

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The CPI(M) on Sunday censured veteran party leader V.S. Achuthanandan for “publicly criticising the state leadership of the party and taking steps which have provided opportunities for the political opponents to attack the party”.

Incidentally this is the sixth time that disciplinary action has been taken against him, with the first one way back in 1966.

Mr Achuthanandan and party state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan have been at loggerheads particularly after the 88-year-old leader was critical of the party state secretary’s name cropping up during the investigations of the Rs370-crore Lavalin scam.

Mr Achuthanandan recently mounted an attack on the state leadership under Mr Vijayan in the wake of the murder of Marxist rebel and RMP leader T.P. Chandrasekharan on May 4.

Announcing the CPI(M)’s decision to publicly censure Mr Achuthanandan, party general-secretary Prakash Karat said, “It is not a happy thing (to take action against VS). We hope this chapter ends here.”

He clarified that the party has no involvement in the murder of the Marxist rebel and that the CPI(M) “does not believe in the elimination of political opponents”.

However, the CC statement added, “The Party will conduct an inquiry into the matter to ascertain if there is any involvement of anyone associated with the party in this incident. As stated earlier, firm action will be taken if anybody is found to be involved from the party and any wrong trend if it exists in the party will be put down firmly.”

Mr Karat, meanwhile, claimed that murder of Chandrasekaran is being utilised by the UDF government
to conduct a concerted campaign against the party.

The Central Committee described Mr Achuthanandan as the seniormost leader of the party in Kerala and expected that he act in such a manner which will help the party to unitedly face the current situation.

“Yes, some of the things that I raised have been addressed. The details of all this, you will know when (general secretary) Prakash Karat tells you about it,” said Mr Achuthanandan after the CC meet.

This time, the Vijayan faction had asked the national leadership to remove Mr Achuthanandan from the post of the Leader of Opposition and the Central Committee but sources revealed that Mr Achuthanandan had the backing of some other top leaders, particularly the West Bengal leaders, who prevailed upon the CC not to remove him from the posts.

Further, the CP(M) Central Committee has asked the Kerala State Committee to take appropriate action in the matter concerning M.M. Mani, former secretary of the Idukki District Committee of the Party who has created controversy by claiming that party had made a list of opponents who should be killed and some of them were murdered.