The State leadership of Communist Party of India (Marxist) came under scathing criticism from delegates on Saturday, the second day of the party district meet being held at Ottappalam near here. Most of them found serious lapses on the part of the leadership in allowing the party organ Deshabhimani to carry an advertisement placed by a controversial Palakkad-based industrialist, greeting a three-day plenum of the party held in November 2013.
The plenum was organised to cleanse the party of organisational weaknesses and to end unhealthy trends among the cadre. Most delegates who took part in the discussions said the advertisement placed by controversial industrialist V.M. Radhakrishnan had spoiled the spirit of the plenum. It also gave a negative message to the cadre, the delegates said.
The quarter-page colour advertisement — felicitating the CPI(M) on the occasion of its plenum — on the front page of Deshabhimani was placed by the industrialist, an accused in a case pertaining to three mysterious deaths, alleged the delegates.
“It had defeated the very purpose for which the fourth plenum of the party was organised. The main objective of the plenum was to put an end to the alleged connections of leaders and cadre with mafias operating in the various fields of Kerala economy,” said a delegate from Mundur, who began the discussion.
The functioning of leaders A.K. Balan and A. Prabhakaran was criticised by the delegates. Most of the participants demanded an end to sectarian activities in areas such as Mundur and Shoranur. No rebel move must be tolerated and they must be nipped in the bud, they said. Party State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan will reply to the discussions on Sunday. The meet would conclude on Sunday evening with a mass rally.
