Karat: Somnath was a deviated comrade

CPM general secretary Prakash Karat has termed former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee a deviated comrade and justified his expulsion from the party as a correct decision. Party sources said Karat made the reference while explaining the need for strong action against any deviation from party discipline at the Central Committee meeting here.

The case of former Speaker was an instance of deviation and it is also true that the action taken against such deviation was correct on the part of the party discipline, Karat reportedly said at the meeting. Sources said this was a hint that he would not allow Chatterjee to return to the party.

Speaking to The Indian Express shortly after Jyoti Basus death,Chatterjee had made it clear that he too was not interested in getting back his party membership. In fact,it was Basu who had asked Chatterjee to preside over the July 2008 trust vote and asked him to decide whether he wanted to quit the post after the trust vote.