Kerala: Censure fails to dampen VS' spirit

Achuthanandan may have been publicly censured by the CPM Central Committee, but he didn’t have any remorse the day after. At least he didn’t show any.

There was an increased confidence in his action and mannerisms and he looked relaxed as he met people close to him.

One of the visitors he had on Monday was CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury, who played a crucial role, along with the Bengal faction, in saving Achuthanandan from the hands of the official faction.

The two held discussion for nearly half-an-hour. However, they refused to reveal anything about the meeting.

When asked, Achuthanandan said party general secretary Prakash Karat had said everything and that he had nothing more to add.

It is learnt that Yechury has advised him to be more cautious in his public statements and outbursts to avoid further complications.

“If anyone thinks that the public censure meted out to Achuthanandan has subdued him in any manner, they may be wrong. He is encouraged by the fact that the central leadership takes his words seriously,” said sources close to Achuthanandan.

But, if the indications emanating from the top leadership of the CPM are anything to go by, things may not be easier for Achuthanandan as it looks from outside despite his unexpected victory in the just held Central Committee. “It is true that he could get away with a light punishment like public censure when compared to his violations of the party discipline. But, it has got more to do with the predicament that the party is facing now rather than with his own invincibility,” said a party senior leader. According to him, the fact that Achuthanandan played his cards very smartly putting the state leadership and the central leadership in a tight situation also helped him on Sunday.

“But he should remember that there are many people in the party who are waiting for a conducive situation to take action against him as his violations of the party norms are innumerable,” the leader said. The fact that the Central Committee rejected all the ideological issues raised by Achuthanandan, including the FDI, should also be read along with this. “Achuthanandan could save himself only because he succeeded in ensuring that the entire discussions in the Central Committee were shadowed by TP murder and the mishandling of the scenario by the official leadership,” another CPM leader told ‘Express’.

Meanwhile, the Central Committee is learnt to have directed the state leadership to take action against T K Hamza, who had publicly criticised V S Achuthanandan. Hamza, in one of the public meetings, had said that Achuthanandan stabbed the party from behind. Achuthanandan had later complained to the Central Committee against this. The action is direct affront to state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, who had supported Hamza saying that his words should be seen as an ‘Eranadan joke’.

It is also learnt that the Central Committee has asked the state leadership not to take any aggressive posturing with regard to the TP murder case. It has also been told that the party should not be seen protecting leaders who are under the clouds of suspicion.