The CPI(M) on Saturday continued to shield its Kannur leader P. Sasi, though deeply embarrassed by party general secretary Prakash Karat’s disclosure that he was facing a complaint of sexual harassment.
In fact, the party state unit sought to downplay the whole episode saying that it was not a “serious issue” that merits a police enquiry though Mr Karat said on Friday that the party took such matters “seriously”.
With this, the CPI(M) has literally stolen the wind from the sails of the V.S. Achuthanandan campaign vessel which is riding on the promise of handcuffing sex offenders.
Adopting a defiant tone, CPI(M) state committee member P. Jayarajan said so far there has not been any complaint against Mr Sasi before the law enforcing agencies.
“We had said that an enquiry is going on against Sasi,” he said. “There is a complaint before the party and we have our own mechanism to conduct the probe. At present, we cannot divulge any details.”
Smelling blood, the opposition UDF, however, has seized the issue and has demanded a police investigation against Mr Sasi.
“If the LDF can register a case based on the revelations of a person like Rauf against Muslim League leader P.K. Kunhalikutty, why can’t it do the same in the case of Sasi?” asked KPCC spokesperson M.M. Hassan. “Do they think Rauf is more credible than Karat?”
Congress MP K. Sudhakaran told reporters in Kannur that the home minister, Mr Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, also misled the public by saying that Mr Sasi was given leave to undergo treatment. “He owes an apology to the people,” said the MP.