Thiruvananthapuram: The Communist Party of India, the second-largest constituent of Kerala’s ruling dispensation, on Saturday expressed its outrage at the statement of CPI-M legislator M.M. Mani in the Assembly against a woman legislator as the controversy continued to simmer for the third day.
Mani, a former state Electricity Minister, had on Thursday slammed opposition MLA K.K. Rema of the Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP), stating that it was her fate that she became a widow and the CPI-M or the Left had no role in it.
The CPI’s Idukki district Secretary K.K. Sivaraman slammed Mani over his frequent usage of expletives in his statements.
Sivaraman also was upset after Mani used a colloquial word for their top leader Annie Raja, wife of CPI national Secretary D. Raja, saying that her domain was Delhi and she need not be worried (“undakenda”) of what happens in the Kerala Assembly.
He hit back at Mani stating if that be the case, then would he say the same of his leader Brinda Karat.
“Mani should learn to speak properly controlling his tongue and the CPI-M should ensure that they correct him. He just can’t get away by saying he is a pure villager who uses village language. Mani should speak properly,” an angry Sivaraman said.
Ever since Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan strongly defended Mani in the floor of the house, every CPI-M leader has fallen into line and gone on to defend Mani.
The latest was State Minister for Culture V.N. Vasavan who on Saturday said Mani has done no wrong.
Rema, who won the election with the support of the Congress-led UDF, is the widow of former CPI-M leader Chandrasekheran, who was brutally murdered by a group of attackers near his house in Kozhikode in 2012.
He had left the party in 2008 and formed his own party, the Revolutionary Marxist Party.
Eleven people, including three local CPI-M leaders, were sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the killing.
Even after the brutal murder of her husband with the alleged knowledge of the CPI-M top brass, Vijayan had called him a ‘renegade’, a remark that had come under huge attack from numerous quarters.
On Saturday, Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan said it’s Vijayan who is supporting Mani.
“Vijayan’s continued anger towards Chandrashekeran is becoming more visible and he just cannot tolerate Rema. But we, the Congress-led UDF, will strongly support Rema and will be for her always,” he said.
Mani on Saturday reiterated that he has done no wrong.
“It was the Congress led opposition who pointed out that she is a widow. I just said that we have no role in it. So I don’t think I have done any wrong for me to apologise,” he contended.
With the Friday’s session of the assembly ending in utter chaos on account of these issues, all eyes are on Monday when the session resumes its sitting.
Meanwhile, Vijayan, who arrived in Delhi on Saturday to take part in his party meeting, sidestepped questions on this topic and spoke of rain in the national capital as he got into his car and drove off.
