THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The red flag and the rivulets of blood—sources of inspiration for Communists for decades. But the kind of red on the Kerala CPI(M)’s face right now, is hardly inspiring. Kidnapping and extortion; kidnapping and gangrape. Allegations against two leaders, including an area secretary of the CPI(M). Can a worse double whammy hit any political party?
Last week, the CPI(M) suspended Wadakkanchery councillor P N Jayanthan and party member Bineesh, who are accused in the Wadakkanchery gangrape case, from the party’s preliminary membership and removed its Kalamassery area secretary V A Zakir Hussain, against whom the newly set up City Task Force had registered a criminal case on a non-bailable offence. CPI(M) district secretariat member T K Mohanan has been given temporary charge of the area secretary. Zakir has been on the run since last week after he was booked for allegedly threatening a local businessman.
If the embarrassment caused by the Kalamassery area secretary was mostly limited to the state, the charges against Wadakkanchery municipal councillor hit national headlines in no time, forcing the party to act immediately.
The Wadakkanchery area committee met in the presence of District Secretary K Radhakrishnan to discuss the action to be taken against the duo. Saying that the party would not protect criminals, Radhakrishnan said, “The party will take action if a leader is found guilty.” However, what was more shocking than the gangrape allegations was the act of Radhakrishnan, former Assembly speaker, who revealed the name of the victim.
This provoked even the Left Front partner CPI as well as the Opposition into demanding action against Radhakrishnan.The Left has only itself to blame for the tale of woes. The ‘first wicket’ to fall was that of Industries Minister E P Jayarajan. The charge: Nepotism. What a fall for a government that came to power riding the crest of an anti-corruption wave.
There were many who drew parallels between Narendra Modi and Pinarayi Vijayan for reasons both positive and negative. It seems home-grown fringe elements too are having identical effect on both these leaders who are often admired with a grudge than with an open mind. Both had set lofty goals and tough targets. Both are being pulled back by internal contradictions.
The act of CM in letting go of first lieutenant E P Jayarajan on moral grounds was seen by many as a welcome change from the past and by some fierce loyalists on home ground Kannur as undue haste for a cosmetic effect.
But when it came to taking action against an area secretary who is facing 13 criminal cases, it took many rounds of deliberations—that too only after the Congress forced its hand by suspending a municipal vice-chairman and a councillor from the party.