TIRUCHY: A CPM protest at Srirangam on Wednesday stirred controversy after posters and placards proclaiming DMK chief MK Stalin “as the leader who has CPM’s support” were seen being waved by the Left party’s members.
The party staged protests across the state making various demands including for a COVID-19 relief of Rs 7500 to be given to each tax-paying citizen. However, the protest at Srirangam turned controversial after the posters and placards in support of Stalin were spotted.
Velankanni, the CPM area secretary for Srirangam justified the posters on the ground that both CPM leader Balakrishnan and Congress leader KS Alagiri had announced that their respective parties would support Stalin, as part of an alliance, in the upcoming Assembly elections. “We held up the posters and placards to welcome the decision,” he said.
However, senior functionaries of the CPM sought to distance the party from the gesture. CPM Tiruchy executive member Sridhar claimed the posters merely represented the independent view of the local functionaries.
"The intention behind the protest is to educate the public and help them economically as they are struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The elections are more than seven months away and there is no need to talk about the alliance or the elections right now," he said.