THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Wary of the political damage ADGP M R Ajith Kumar’s meeting with the RSS leadership would cause, the CPM has distanced itself from the episode, calling it an issue that does not concern the party but the government. However, the CPM made it clear that it would resist attempts by the Opposition UDF to derive political mileage by alleging that the meeting was held at the behest of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to scuttle the Thrissur Pooram and give BJP the advantage.
The stance of the party was spelt out by CPM state secretary M V Govindan, who termed UDF’s attempts to drag the CM into the controversy as “absurd”. Speaking to reporters in Kasaragod on Sunday, Govindan expressed, though indirectly, the party’s displeasure over the controversy. “Do you think I am pleased?” he shot back when reporters asked him about the LDF ally CPI’s displeasure over the senior police officer’s meeting with the RSS functionaries.
“Who someone meets is not our concern. The attempt to link this with the CPM is baseless. Everyone knows where the CPM stands on the matter,” said Govindan. The CPM leader said the RSS was an organisation that was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of CPM members, underscoring the ideological opposition between the two groups.
Govindan also accused the UDF of forging ties with the BJP and pointed out that the UDF votes had drifted to the BJP in Thrissur during the Lok Sabha elections. He also criticised the practice of exaggerating minor incidents, using the phrase “turning a goat into a dog” to describe the Opposition’s tactics.
Meanwhile, the home department feels there is nothing unusual in ADGP’s personal meetings with RSS leaders. However, considering the sentiments within the CPM, the government is weighing its options on the next possible course of action, including moving the ADGP out of his current position. The government is also likely to come out with an explanation on the whole controversy surrounding Ajith Kumar.
Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan alleged that Ajith Kumar met Sangh Parivar leaders as an emissary of the CM.
Unholy nexus between CPM & BJP, says Kunhalikutty
“Opening an account in Kerala was the biggest dream of the BJP. The CM extended help to them through the ADGP. This was in exchange for not troubling him with various cases. The Thrissur Pooram was later scuttled as part of this deal,” Satheesan alleged.
The BJP countered the leader of the Opposition’s argument by alleging that Satheesan and Pinarayi were “two bodies but one soul”. BJP state president K Surendran asked why the state government kept the Punarjani case against Satheesan in cold storage. “Wasn’t it the same ADGP who said a probe against Satheesan was not necessary in this case?” Surendran asked.
Meanwhile, the Muslim League termed the ADGP’s controversial meeting as evidence of the CPM-BJP nexus and demanded an explanation from the CM. IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty alleged that the BJP secured a win in Thrissur by scuttling the pooram. “There is an unholy nexus between the CPM and the BJP. What happened in Thrissur has shocked the secular society,” Kunhalikutty said.