MALAPPURAM: The K E Ismail saga has come up as an unexpected stumbling block for the relatively less eventful CPI state meet. Severely criticised in the report, the senior leader has approached the national leadership in this regard.
There is a general feeling within the party that the issue took the sheen out of the meet. The issue came up during discussions on the political report on Friday. Though there were general remarks against him, the delegates felt that the observations and remarks against Ismail should not have been leaked through the media on Thursday.
There is a strong feeling within a section of the party that the ongoing episode is part of the now relatively defunct factional feud. “He is being deliberately targeted. It is a nasty way of settling scores. There is a general feeling that the party leadership should not have gone to such an extent,” sources close to Ismail told Express. The control commission report has strong remarks against senior leaders from the Ismail camp such as R Ramachandran and C N Chandran. Irked by the criticism, Ismail has approached the central leadership. In his complaint, he alleged a deliberate attempt to defame him at the state meet and in society.
The national executive member complained to general secretary Sudhakar Reddy and demanded that the control commission report should not be made part of the party report. He even went to the extent of saying he will put an end to his public life if he is targeted in this manner. Meeting Reddy in person, Ismail is learnt to have communicated his displeasure, stating that he is being hunted down for something that happened in 2013. Responding to questions, neither Reddy nor Ismail denied the matter. Reddy said if there’s a complaint, the party will look into the same. Meanwhile, the discussions on Friday witnessed references to the Ismail issue.
While criticism over his remark in the Thomas Chandy row continued, the delegates felt that the issue should not have cropped up for discussions in the media.It is learnt that delegates representing the state capital and pravasi organisations expressed their displeasure.Responding to queries in this regard, senior leader K P Rajendran said no such report was presented at the conference. Asked about Ismail’s complaint, he added that no such complaint has come before the party state unit.