New Delhi: CPI(M) Central Committee on Sunday did not take any disciplinary action against veteran leader VS Achuthanandan as sought by the Kerala leadership for putting the party in hardship through his public comments, but asked them to discuss the matter in the state.
At a meeting of party`s Central Committee attended by Achuthanandan and his bete noire Pinarayi Vijayan, party sources said the issue was raised but the Central Committee decided to ask the State Secretariat and State Committee to discuss the matter first.
Achuthanandan has been taking a position contrary to party on the issue of political killings allegedly involving some cadre when the state leadership was trying to hard to dispel the notion that the party was not involved in it.
Party sources said Achuthanandan spoke in the meeting and he raised the need for a change in the leadership in Kerala, a demand he had raised in a letter written to CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat earlier.
In the letter, he had said that he would like to be relieved from the post of Opposition Leader if the present Kerala leadership continued.
Some Central Committee members have also criticised the Kerala leadership in the delay in taking action against Idukki district secretary MM Mani for his remarks that the party had earlier made a list of political adversaries to be killed and they had already eliminated some, the sources said.
Achuthanandan and Vijayan had met CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat on Friday ahead of the two-day Central Committee meeting which ended yesterday.
The Central Committee also ratified the West Bengal committee`s decision to expel former MP Anil Basu, who is facing corruption allegations, for anti-party activities.
He was earlier suspended from the party for three months.
On the Presidential elections, the Central Committee authorised the Polit Bureau to formulate a strategy after discussing with other Left and like-minded secular parties.
PTI
