Leaders should not make statements that go against party's official stand; M V Govindan issues strict warning

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM state secretary M V Govindan has issued a warning to party leaders in the wake of controversies over statements made by senior leaders. He said leaders should not make public statements that go against the party’s official stand, and such statements will be rejected by the party. Govindan gave the warning at a CPM state committee meeting. The instruction comes amid controversies surrounding remarks made by ministers Saji Cherian and A K Balan. During the meeting, there was criticism that Saji Cherian’s statement had caused damage to the party. With elections approaching, leaders were also advised to be cautious and avoid unnecessary controversies.

The CPM will soon take action against Kannur district committee member V Kunjikrishnan, who raised allegations of misappropriation of the martyrs' fund. The Kannur district committee will meet tomorrow, followed by another meeting the next day, to decide on the action. Kunjikrishnan may be expelled from the party. Any decision will be announced with the approval of the state committee.

Earlier, A K Balan had said that if the UDF comes to power, the Home Department would be controlled by Jamaat-e-Islami and that incidents like Marad would be repeated. Minister Saji Cherian also sparked controversy by stating that communal polarisation was evident in the recent local body polls, as seen by the names of those who had won in the Malappuram district panchayat and Kasaragod municipality. Though he later expressed regret, the minister did not concede that his remarks were inappropriate.