CPM must correct its own mistakes; leaders who misguided party are true betrayers, slams TK Govindan 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Rebel leader T.K. Govindan has sharply hit back at the CPM leadership, asserting that he has committed no errors and it is the party that needs to rectify its mistakes. His remarks follow a public disagreement between CPM State Secretariat member M.V. Jayarajan and State Secretary M.V. Govindan over the potential re-induction of expelled and rebel leaders into the party.

Challenging the party's current stance, T.K. Govindan stated that the CPM would inevitably find itself in a position in the future where it must discuss the return of the rebels. He demanded that M.V. Jayarajan clarify what specific mistakes the rebels had committed and who exactly needed to correct them. He further remarked that historical rebel leader M.V. Raghavan had only returned to the party fold towards the end of his life when his health had severely deteriorated and he lacked full consciousness.

Turning the "class betrayer" allegation back onto the leadership, T.K. Govindan asserted that those who steered the party onto the wrong path are the real class betrayers, adding that it is clear who fits that description. He also raised the PM SHRI (Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India) scheme, questioning which minister had originally signed the agreement, and noted that a United Democratic Front (UDF) government can not easily withdraw from such an executed contract.

The political controversy erupted following an interview given by M.V. Jayarajan to the television channel Kannur Vision, where he initially adopted a lenient approach toward those who had left the party. Jayarajan had stated that the CPM does not have a policy of permanently isolating old comrades over policy errors, pointing out that veteran leaders like M.V. Raghavan and K.R. Gowri Amma were welcomed back in their later years. He also admitted that there were flaws in candidate selection in Payyanur and Taliparamba, claiming that the party would have won in Payyanur had the candidate been changed. Furthermore, Jayarajan defended T.K. Govindan’s recent visit to the residence of the late CPM leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, describing it as a matter of basic hospitality.

However, CPM State Secretary M.V. Govindan completely rejected Jayarajan's assertions during a press briefing in Thiruvananthapuram. Clarifying the party’s official stance, the State Secretary stated that Jayarajan was not speaking on behalf of the party and that the leadership does not need to respond to individual statements made on television channels. While he acknowledged the general principle that anyone who corrects their mistakes can be taken back, he emphasised that the actions of these specific rebels amounted to class betrayal. He explicitly named G. Sudhakaran, Govindan, and Kunhikrishnan as individuals who had betrayed the party, left its ranks, and contested as rebels, affirming that they would continue to be viewed and criticised as class betrayers.

Following the public correction by the State Secretary, M.V. Jayarajan altered his tone before the media, subsequently stating that the situation merely presents an opportunity for the rebel MLAs to correct their mistakes.