Thiruvananthapuram: CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said there was no difference of opinion between him and Chief Minister S Achuthanandan as portrayed by the media.
"Achuthanandan has no problem with the party or with me as reported by the media," he said during a meet-the-press programme organised by Kesari Memorial Journalist Trust here.
Vijayan had yesterday described former chief minister and slain CPI(M) leader EK Nayanar as a team captain who paid due attention in taking care of cabinet colleagues at times of crisis.
It was seen as an indirect attack on Achuthanandan who had a bitter fallout with Vijayan over the SNC-Lavalin case, in which the latter is being prosecuted by the CBI.
"I have not criticised Achuthanandan. I only talked about Nayanar and his personal qualities. But the media gave a wrong picture about the statement," he said.
"You (media) should also not mislead Achuthanandan, who besides being our chief minister, is a senior leader of the party," Vijayan said.
Reacting to Vijayan`s remarks, Achuthanandan had said he was not taking seriously the criticism that he was not protecting his cabinet colleagues.
On the changing political situation in the state, Vijayan said the ruling LDF would not be affected by the exit of Kerala Congress(J) from the Front and its merging with Kerala
Congress(M) in opposition UDF.
However, if reports that KC(J) leader Joseph left LDF due to pressure from a section of Catholic priests were true, then it meant that religion was entering politics "which will have dangerous consequences in the state".
Similarly, the move of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a UDF partner, to join hands with Jama-at-e Islami was "equally dangerous", Vijayan said.
"It shows how far the Congress, the lead partner in UDF,
will go to derive political mileage against LDF," he said.
PTI
