Alappuzha: Amid the continuing unease in the rank and file of the Communist Party of India (CPI) over party chief's stand on the recent police action against its agitating leaders, three people have been arrested here on charges of putting up posters against the party leadership. The three are members of the All-India Youth Federation, the youth wing of the CPI.
The police made the arrest on charges of defaming the CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran.
Alappuzha DySP P V Baby said the case was taken as per the Kerala Police Act 120 (D) section.
The police said that they had taken permission from the court to charge the case as per the 120 (D) section, which pertains to defaming a person via any media. Once the case is filed, the police have the authority to make the arrest and let the person out on station bail.
However, there was no slanderous content in the posters that aimed to defame Kanam as an individual. The police do not resort to such actions even when posters are put up against the Prime Minister or Chief Minister over political issues, the police here clarified.
Meanwhile, Kerala Police chief Loknath Behera stated that he has no official information about the filing of a case against those who put up anti-Kanam posters in Alappuzha. The DGP said that he would probe if he were to get any complaint that something unlawful had happened.
The posters sought the removal of Kanam to save the party had triggered a controversy. They were put up soon after Kanam angered party activists by refusing to decry the baton charge on agitating party members, including CPI legislator Eldho Abraham, in Kochi.
Kanam had also reportedly commented that the cops did not barge into their homes but they went up to them and asked for baton charge.
A rift in local ranks
Interestingly, a CPI leader turned up to get the three arrested AIYF leaders out on bail. K F Lalji, of the Kanam faction, went to the Alappuzha (North) police station to get them out on bail.
Lalji, who was the assistant secretary of the Ambalappuzha block, was left out when the Alappuzha, Ambalappuzha, and Mararikulam block committees of the CPI were re-constituted and reduced to two.
A party leader approaching the police station for getting bail for the accused in a complaint given by the party itself is a clear indication of the deepening crisis within the CPI.
