Anthoor issue still boiling within CPM

Thiruvananthapuram:  The brewing internal squabbles in CPM around the actions of Anthoor municipality, in Kannur district leading to the suicide of NRI investor Sajan Parayil,  has led to mud some slinging at the party's internal fora.

At the CPM state council at Thiruvananthapuram,  Taliparamba MLA James Mathew stunned many in the leadership with the allegation that the intervention of CPM Central committee member MV Govindan had contributed crucially to the suicide.   The chairperson of Anthoor municipal council is Govindan's wife,  PK Shyamala.

However state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan kept mum on Mathew's charge.  It may be recalled that in the matter regarding a woman's allegations against the state secretary's son Benoy Kodiyer, i the first to come out in support of Balakrishnan was MV Govindan.

It was noteworthy that there were voices for and against chairperson Shyamala from Kannur district itself.  James Mathew's mention came during the discussion about the events leading to the suicide of the NRI investor,  and he said that on a complaint being brought to his attention about licence being denied to the entrepreneur,  he as the local MLA had interevened in the matter.

Mathew said that the memorandum Sajan gave him, was submitted to the then local self-government minister KT Jaleel  who in turn authorised the Superintending Engineer to examine the case and take action.  But soon after that, MV Govindan called the minister's private secretary and thereafter actions got stalled.   James Mathew wondered why Govindan had to call the minister's personal staff.

Although present at the meeting,  MV Govindan did not react to these comments.

P Jayarajan was more forthcoming with  critical ramarks on the decision of the municipality and said the incidents leading to the suicide should have been avoided.   Although the municipality's instruction was to rectify the defects towards possible approval,  there was a deliberate delay.  Jayarajan also narrated the plaint of Sajan's family about this delay, and said that he spoke in public  at a party explanation meeting based on the district committee meeting. This was not called for, some members pointed out.

Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan clarified that there was no sufficient  evidence available now to warrant any actionst Shyamala.