'Put party on defensive by raising wrong issues'; CPM expels whistleblower V Kunhikrishnan

KANNUR: CPM Kannur district committee member V Kunhikrishnan, the whistleblower in the Payyannur martyrs fund embezzlement controversy, was expelled from the party. CPM Kannur district secretary KK Ragesh announced the decision at a press conference.

Ragesh said in the press conference that Kunhikrishnan became a stick for the opposition to beat the government. He added that all the issues raised by Kunhikrishnan were settled in 2022 itself.

"Even after becoming a member of the district committee, some issues were raised. Kunhikrishnan personally abused T. I. Madhusoodanan." KK Ragesh added that the stance of putting the party on the defensive by raising wrong issues will not be accepted.

The controversy started with Kunhikrishnan's revelations that Payyannur MLA TI Madhusudhanan and others had embezzled Rs 46 lakh from the Dhanraj Martyrs' Fund. Kunhikrishnan had alleged that the fraud came to light during an audit conducted when he was the Payyannur Area Committee Secretary and that lakhs of rupees were embezzled in the 2011 election accounts.

Kunhikrishnan responded that he expected the decision. The senior leader said that it would have been pointless to call himself a communist and not respond to the corruption now plaguing the party. Kunhikrishnan said that he was forced to respond after realising that the party was straying from its normal path, throwing away the communist ethos.