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A day after Communist Party of India’s leader Annie Raja demanded the resignation of actor and CPI (M) legislator M Mukesh over rape charges, her party’s Kerala unit Friday openly contradicted her remarks, calling it a “state leadership issue”.
After a meeting of the state party leadership, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam told the media that Raja was a “national leader” and that “there was a state leadership” to comment on the issue.
“The Left is committed to uphold the Left perspective. There is no CPI(M)-CPI dispute on this,” he said. “Annie Raja is a national secretariat member of the party. State leadership will comment on an issue in Kerala and everybody is familiar with that basic norm. There is no issue of one approach here and another there.”
The statement came after Raja sought Mukesh’s resignation, saying that he “had no moral or legal ground to continue as an MLA”. This came after the police registered a rape case against the actor-politician based on a complaint from an actor.
Although CPI in Kerala openly aired the party view on the Mukesh issue, party sources said the CPI leadership has expressed its resentment over Mukesh continuing as a legislator. “Viswam had communicated the party stand to the chief minister – that on moral ground, he should quit. But the party will not demand or compel the CPI(M) to seek his resignation,” one source said.
This isn’t the first time that the state leadership has held a contradictory stand to Annie Raja’s. In 2021, when she had alleged that Sangh Parivar elements had infiltrated into the state police force, then CPI state leadership denounced her stand.
On its part, the CPI(M) state leadership has rallied behind Mukesh, arguing that two Congress legislators had not stepped down even after they were charge sheeted in rape cases. However, the party state committee, which will meet on Saturday, is likely to take a fresh call on the issue amid the growing chorus for the legislator’s resignation.
The state leadership’s current stance appears to be contrary to the one that CPI(M) national leader Brinda Karat espoused in an article in the party website. In that, Karat took exception to the state leadership’s justification for allowing Mukesh to continue in office.
“We should not get into a diversionary — what is called in Hindi, a ‘tu-tu-main-main’ (you did this and I did that) sort of useless argument,” she had written. “The focus is and must be to provide a safe environment for women everywhere — and in the context of the Hema Committee Report — in the film industry. Women must have the confidence that the government and society are with them in their brave fight for justice.”
Meanwhile, Mukesh is also gearing up for a legal battle after a court stayed his arrest till September 2. Kochi Police on Friday recorded the statement of the complainant.
The same day, another actor, Jayasurya, too was booked in a second rape case after a junior artiste accused him of unwanted sexual advances while shooting a 2013 movie.
