Pinarayi ‘chargesheet’ against VS

The factional feud that erupted again in the CPI(M)’s Kerala unit seems to have reached a point of no return with the party leadership...

The factional feud that erupted again in the CPI(M)’s Kerala unit seems to have reached a point of no return with the party leadership, controlled by state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, bringing out a virtual chargesheet against his bete-noire, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan.

A review report of the party’s state conference, held in Kottayam in February this year, criticises Achuthanandan and the role he played on several counts, right from the time the Government was formed. The report, a copy of which is available with The Indian Express, has been circulated to all units. Some of the charges against Achuthanandan are:

There was some confusion on allocation of portfolios at the time of Government formation after V S Achuthanandan took a “unilateral stand”, departing from the unanimous view of the state committee. The confusion was later addressed after discussions involving the Politburo.

When the Government completed six months, the Chief Minister’s public statements on certain controversial issues, including the S N C Lavlin scam, in which Vijayan’s name figured, created confusion.

The Chief Minister’s comments after a Cabinet meeting that he would make public his personal views on the issue later, despite the party having taken a clear position in it, had repercussions.

The Chief Minister rebuked the state Director General of Police on the anti-piracy operation “over the head of” Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, the Home Minister. It tainted the Government’s image considerably.

The party had decided to go ahead with the ADB loan. However, V S told the media that the decision was taken without informing him.

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When he was the Opposition leader, V S had pointed an accusing finger at an unnamed VIP who tried to hush up the Kiliroor sex scandal. When the LDF came to power, the UDF alleged that the VIP was P K Sreemathi, CPM leader and state Health Minister. V S did not make a statement to clear her name.

When the donations from millionaire Faris Aboobacker to a party-run football tournament became controversial, VS had said that Aboobacker deserved contempt and the incident of receiving funds from such a person would be probed. The report said it was wrong of V S to level allegations against Faris without proof and there was nothing wrong in accepting donations from him.

The report, which runs into several pages, also has a mention of the eruption of demonstrations by V S loyalists in protest against the state leadership’s decision not to field him in the Assembly elections, dubbing the protests as one of the biggest attacks on the party’s unity.