KOZHIKODE: BJP leader K Surendran has criticised the CPI(M)'s ongoing “rectification” exercise, calling it an attempt to mislead party cadres and the public rather than a genuine effort to address the issues the party is facing.
Surendran said the CPM was presenting the exercise as a major corrective initiative. He pointed out that a similar exercise was undertaken after the party's 2013 Plenum, when several guidelines were issued. He alleged that these directives were later violated.
Questioning the CPM's approach to corruption allegations, Surendran asked whether any corrective action had been taken over allegations involving former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan's family.
He also raised the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) controversy and questioned why, according to him, the CPM had not taken a position similar to the one it adopted in the past over the Kodiyeri Balakrishnan issue.
Surendran predicted that the CPM would eventually meet the fate of communist parties in West Bengal and Tripura. He also said the BJP's doors were open to everyone who was not involved in corruption.
The BJP leader criticised the CPM's reported emphasis on closer engagement with temples as part of the rectification exercise. He questioned whether people would trust the party simply because its leaders visit temples.
“Going to a temple will not automatically bring votes,” he said, adding that several people were already visiting temples wearing towels over their heads. Such gestures alone, he argued, would not bring about any political change.