‘Stung’ CPI district secretary steps down

A day after his name figured in a TV sting operation relating to usurping of government land, CPI Wayanad district secretary Vijayan Cherukara stepped down from his post on Tuesday.

KALPETTA: A day after his name figured in a TV sting operation relating to usurping of government land, CPI Wayanad district secretary Vijayan Cherukara stepped down from his post on Tuesday. The decision came after a meeting of the party’s district council. CPI MLA K Rajan has been given temporary charge of the Wayanad unit.

According to a source, Sathyan Mokeri and K Rajan, who participated in the meeting as representatives of the CPI state council, were of the view that the TV sting operation on land grab had tarnished the image of the party.

Vijayan’s critics used his clarification to the media without consulting the party on the matter and issuance of a veiled threat to the reporter who conducted the sting operation as weapons to corner him.  

Meanwhile, Vijayan explained his version at the district council. He and his supporters were of the view that an inquiry commission should be tasked to probe the allegations in detail. Emerging from the meeting, Mokeri told reporters that though the party welcomes the government’s decision to order a vigilance probe on the matter, it did not agree to the content of the sting operation.

He clarified that Vijayan had voluntarily expressed willingness to step down in the face of the allegations and K Rajan was given the temporary charge. Interestingly, the party has decided to field a person from outside the district for the secretary’s post. K Rajan is the party’s MLA from Ollur in Thrissur.

The TV sting operation by a Malayalam news channel claimed to have exposed an ‘unholy alliance’ between the Revenue Department officials and real estate brokers with the active support of ruling CPI’s Wayanad district unit.

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