Govindan also announced that the CPI (M) MLA Mukesh, facing cases of sexual abuse has been removed from the cinema policy-making committee.
Published Aug 31, 2024 | 11:41 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 31, 2024 | 5:01 PM
File photo of EP Jayarajan. (Supplied)
Kerala CPI(M) state secretary Govindan on Saturday, 31 August, announced that EP Jayarajan has been removed from the post of LDF convener. He further added that TP Ramakrishnan will hold the responsibility instead of Jayarajan.
Asked for the reason, Govindan said that various factors were considered including the developments during the Lok Sabha Elections.
The veteran Marxist leader has reportedly been under fire from the party ever since he had admitted, in April, to meeting BJP leader Prakash Javadekar.
Jayarajan’s connections with self-styled power broker TG Nandakumar, alias “Dallal” Nandakumar, with a plan to join the BJP, and his meeting with Javadekar had put the CPI(M) as well as the left front in a spot during the Lok Sabha Elections.
Following the revelation by Jayarajan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had cautioned his party colleague to be vigilant in his associations.
At the same time, disciplinary action is expected to be announced by the CPI(M) central leadership as he is a central committee member.
In the same meeting, Govindan announced that the CPI (M) MLA Mukesh, facing cases of sexual abuse has been removed from the cinema policy-making committee.
However, the party secretary added that Mukesh will not resign from the post of MLA.
“Here we have to look at the precedents. At the national level, we have several MPs and MLAs who faced similar allegations. But they didn’t relinquish their posts. When we come to the state, in front of us are examples of Oommen Chandy, Hibi Eden, Shashi Tharoor and others. When they faced similar allegations, they didn’t relinquish their MP or MLA posts. Thus there is no need to consider the demand,” said Govindan.
The party secretary also added that the demand of tendering resignation by taking moral responsibility holds no ground as if a person turns out to be innocent the existing legal mechanism didn’t allow that person to resume his post.
In April 2024, Jayarajan sought to downplay the controversy surrounding his meeting with Javadekar, saying it was not a political one, which is why he did not inform his party about it.
He also dismissed the claim of BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate for Alappuzha, Sobha Surendran, that he expressed interest to join the saffron party and reiterated that he had never ever met her before or discussed it even over the phone.
The CPI(M) veteran also said there was nothing unusual for people to meet senior leaders, and there was no need to report everything to the party.
Asked whether he was being targeted, the leader had said he suspected that there was an agenda behind the developments.
Jayarajan had also sent a legal notice in May 2024, to Sobha, Nandakumar and KPCC chief Sudhakaran for making defamatory statements against him, he demanded they apologise through the media or pay a compensation of ₹2 crore.
Earlier on Satuday, the Congress-led UDF opposition used the development to claim that it vindicates their allegation that Jayarajan had links with BJP leaders Prakash Javadekar and Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
Leader of Opposition of the Assembly VD Satheesan said that the development vindicates the UDF claims that Jayarajan had links with BJP leaders.
“Now, it has been proved that what we claimed was true. Not just him (Jayarajan), the CPI(M) in Kerala also has wrong links, including business relations, with the BJP,” Satheesan said.
Satheesan also said that the CPI(M) had protected Jayarajan back in April when he had, amidst the Lok Sabha polls, admitted to meeting Javadekar.
“What happened now for such a decision by him is not clear and the CPI(M) has to answer that,” the opposition leader said.
