The CPI(M) central committee has censured veteran leader and former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan for breach of party discipline while allowing him to be an invitee to the State committee.
Approving the report of the Polit Bureau commission on Kerala, the committee warned Mr. Achuthanandan about the violations of party norms and asked him to abide by the organisational discipline of the party.
Rejecting his plea to be included in the party State secretariat, the panel decided to allow him to be an invitee in the State committee. Briefing the media about the decisions of the three-day meeting which concluded here on Sunday, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said Mr. Achuthanandan, in his capacity as a veteran leader of the Communist movement in Kerala, would continue to contribute to the CPI(M) within the norms and discipline of the party.
“Mr. Achuthanandan’s party forum in Kerala will be the State committee where he can air his views,” Mr. Yechury said. The meeting, however, resolved not to take action against Central committee members E.P. Jayarajan and P.K. Sreemathy, both facing charges of nepotism, and Electricity Minister M.M. Mani, who is one of the accused in a case relating to the murder of a Youth Congress leader.
Replying to questions, Mr. Yechury said the party State committee had been directed to probe the charges against Mr. Jayarajan and Ms. Sreemathy. The report would be taken up for discussion at the next meeting of the Central committee.
Mr. Yechury said the committee had decided not to take any action against Mr. Mani so as not to influence the court verdict on the issue. Asked about the the corruption charges against Fisheries Minister J. Mercykutty Amma, who is facing a Vigilance inquiry, he said there was no prima facie case against her that would invite action by the party at this stage. Mr. Yechury said the Left parties would go it alone in the Assembly elections to be held in five States.
In Punjab, the CPI(M) was open to an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party, if it was ready to clarify its stand on key issues, including communalism. The Central committee meeting adopted a resolution calling upon the Centre to withdraw all restrictions on withdrawal of money from banks and compensate the families of people who had lost their lives and livelihood due to demonetisation.
The CPI(M) would launch a campaign this month explaining how the demonetisation was driven by the BJP government’s commitment to neo liberal economic reforms.
