Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala unit of the Communist Party of India is witnessing minor tremors in the wake of its State Council chiding national general secretary D Raja and his wife Annie, who heads the women's wing, for taking a dim view of the Kerala Police.
A section in the CPI led by national executive committee member K E Ismail are reportedly lining up against party State secretary Kanam Rajendran for going public with the denunciation of Raja, especially, for supporting Annie, for her controversial comment against the police force, suspecting right-wing predilection among some in its ranks.
Ismail is understood to have raised the issue inside the party. He reportedly gave letters to both the party's central and State leaderships, expressing his displeasure over Kanam's open criticism of the party national general secretary. But when approached by 'Manorama', Ismail refused to confirm the new developments and just said, "no comment".
It is reliably learnt that Ismail has taken a stand that he cannot accept any step that would weaken the party's national leadership and its general secretary in the eyes of the public.
The speakers at the State council and the State executive committee meetings had unanimously taken a stand against Raja and Annie. They even demanded passing a resolution against Raja. But this demand was rejected by Kanam. The group supporting Ismail had also taken a stand against Raja and Annie at the party's State council and executive meetings.
Kanam, while interacting informally with the media, had almost confirmed the new developments going on in the party. He, however, denied the media reports that some of the CPI national leaders had conveyed their protests to him over the criticism made against the national general secretary.
The public criticism made by Kanam against the national general secretary for supporting Annie, who made a statement that a section in the Kerala Police are in league with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, has now snowballed into a rift between the official faction led by Kanam Rajendran and another camp spearheaded by Ismail.
