THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Contrary to CPM state secretary M V Govindan’s claim that the party has expressed its full confidence in Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the PR agency row, the CPM state committee witnessed severe criticism against the CM over the whole episode.
Some leaders who spoke at the state committee meeting on Friday remarked that ‘the allegation pointing to a PR agency’s involvement in the chief minister interview has put both the government and party in a tight spot.’
A few leaders who spoke at the meeting also questioned the credibility of CPM leader T K Devakumar’s son Subrahmanian and his involvement in the interview. Stating that such a controversy should not have occurred in the first instance, they reminded the leadership that no one was above the party organisation.
“If it was the party that had arranged the interview, such a controversy would not have happened. Communalism is the major threat that society is facing now. And the CPM is the only party that can defend it against the RSS- BJP onslaught. In this scenario, such a needless fiasco backfired and tarnished the government’s image,” some members reportedly pointed out.
A leader pointed out that the controversy created a kind of obscurity in people’s minds.
“It should be suspected that some unwanted elements are trying to intrude into the system to establish an RSS - CPM nexus,” he said.
Even as the debate heated up, M V Govindan intervened and cut short the discussion, by simply stating that there are no PR agencies working for the government.
Meanwhile, the party document approved by the state committee on ‘the contemporary political situation and the party position’ observes that even though the Muslim League has taken a position of siding with minority extremist organisations like the Jamaat e Islami and SDPI, there are still a good section of people in the Muslim community who have affinity towards the left.
The state committee has also decided to organise a strong campaign against the alleged nexus between the Congress and Jamaat e Islami and SDPI.
The party also decided to take up campaigns to highlight the BJP-led Centre’s apathy towards the state, by pointing out the lag in allowing financial aid for the Wayanad landslide disaster and UDF’s silence on it, among other issues.
The CPM also decided to start a counter-campaign by reaching out to the masses to project the achievements of the second Pinarayi government in various sectors including law and order, industry, investment, health and higher education.