THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior CPM leader KV Kunhiraman being named as accused in the Periya twin murder case has put the ruling CPM in a spot. With the CBI inching close to the party’s senior leadership for its alleged conspiratorial behind the murder, the CPM finds itself cornered. At a time when party conferences are on, the CPM will have a lot to explain before the public.
The murder of Youth Congress workers in Periya, has been haunting the CPM for some time. Recently five CPM workers including a branch secretary were arrested in this regard. The party is obviously worried whether the probe will next lead to its senior leadership, with the CBI having already arraigned a few leaders with conspiracy charges.
Though the CPM leadership reiterates that it would face the move legally and politically, many in the top leadership secretly admit that the Periya murder has caused major damage to the party. The acts of a few in the local leadership has significantly impacted the party in a negative way, they feel. “Periya murder has undoubtedly caused the next big damage to the party after TP murder. It has given an opportunity to BJP and UDF to attack the CPM,” they believe.
The Opposition UDF has meanwhile unleashed a scathing attack on the party for indulging in political violence. The Left government bringing in senior advocates from Supreme Court to prevent CBI from taking over the case has been cited to show that the CPM would go to any extent to block CBI from laying hands on its top leadership. Former chief minister Oommen Chandy has already demanded that the CPM should pay back Rs 88 lakh that the LDF government spent for hiring senior SC lawyers.
“The CPM’s role and the conspiracy hatched by the party leadership have been exposed. It’s evident that party’s top leadership has a role and the local leadership was only implementing the plan,” said RMP’s K K Rema. With the party area conferences currently in progress and district conferences set to begin in a week, the CPM will have a lot of explaining to do.
Senior leaders would be now focusing on a counter-campaign against the CBI actions. Meanwhile senior CPM leader M A Baby termed the new development politically motivated. “The CBI has been used by the political leadership to target the party. None in the party leadership has a role in such acts, and we will clarify this before the masses. This is an attempt to misuse the CBI,” said Baby.