The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] has rejected the demand for an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the murder of Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) leader T.P. Chandrasekharan at Onchiyam.
The decision, which is a rebuff to Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan, who had endorsed the probe demand from the RMP, was announced by the Polit Bureau through a press note on conclusion of its two-day meeting in Delhi on Sunday.
“The political intention for a further probe is evident, that is, to implicate the leaders of the CPI(M) who have not been found involved in the case by the SIT. The Home Minister of Kerala has stated that he has no objection to a CBI inquiry. The CPI(M) warns against any such motivated inquiry and calls upon the people to realise the conspiracy behind such a move,” the press note posted on the CPI(M) website said.
The Polit Bureau pointed out that the CPI(M) had stated at the outset that the party was not involved in the murder. The CPI(M) had also said that a proper investigation should be conducted and the culprits brought to book.
“However, even after the investigation by the State police, which has been done under political pressure, the demand for a CBI investigation has been made by the RMP. Their claim is that a CBI investigation is required as the State leadership of the CPI(M) has not been brought into the net of the accused,” the Polit Bureau noted and added that this was nothing but intended to implicate State leaders of the party in the case.
The UDF government, the Polit Bureau said, was continuing to target CPI(M) leaders and cadres by implicating them in false cases. “The secretary of the Kannur district committee, two other State committee members, and some district secretariat, area, and local committee members of Kozhikode and Kannur districts have been implicated in three cases of murder. In the T.P. Chandrasekharan murder case, the police have charge-sheeted 76 persons, of which many are CPI(M) cadres and members who have been falsely implicated,” it added.
Reacting to the CPI(M) Polit Bureau decision, Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said the CPI(M) was running away from a CBI investigation because it was worried about the implications of such a probe. Their rejection of the probe demand should also be seen as an indirect admission that the investigation so far was beyond reproach, he pointed out. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Ramesh Chennithala said the CPI(M) opposed a CBI probe only because it was worried that its top leaders would get implicated in the case.
