CPI(M) warns Achuthanandan for violating party discipline

Thiruvananthapuram: In a warning to 93-year-old Marxist veteran V S Achuthanandan for "violating" party norms, the CPI(M) Sunday asked him to abide by its organisational norms and discipline.

Talking to reporters after the three-day long party central committee meeting here, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the committee has approved the report of the Politburo Commission on Kerala issues.

It warned Achuthanandan about the violation of party norms pinpointed in the report and asked the veteran to abide by the party norms and discipline, he said.

Yechury said Achuthanandan would be an invitee for the party state committee and central committee.

"He can articulate his views in the state committee and not outside," Yechury said.

The central committee (CC) meeting, which began on Friday, also discussed the issues related to former industries minister E P Jayarajan, who has been named as first accused in a case related to alleged nepotism over appointment in a key post in a public sector undertaking during his tenure.

Yechury said the central committee sought a report from the state committee after an inquiry and submit it for its consideration.

"The issue of Jayarajan and P K Sreemathy (party MP from Kannur, whose son Sudheer Nambiar was appointed managing director of Kerala State Industrial Enterprises Ltd) came up at the CC," he said.

"But as an FIR has been registered and the case is now in the court, the central committee did not discuss further on the matter," he said.

The leader said things like nepotism and favouritism were alien to the communist philosophy and the party.

To a question on state Power Minister M M Mani, who is an accused in a murder case, Yechury said the matter was also now before the court and did not say anything on it.

Political observers and the media were keenly watching the steps to be taken by the party leadership on the report of the PB Commission headed by former general secretary Prakash Karat.

The Commission was appointed after Achuthanandan walked out of the CPI-M state conference held at Alappuzha in February, 2015 breaching party norms causing much embarrassment to the Left party known for its cadre structure.

He was at loggerheads with the state party leadership of that time led by present Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

However, setting aside the differences, the nonagenarian was the main campaigner of the LDF for the May 16 Assembly polls, that saw LDF return to power in the state last year.

Though there were demands from different quarters to make Achuthanandan the chief minister, he was sidelined by the party which choose his bete noire Vijayan to head the government, considering his old age and physical condition.