Kalavoor: Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) has gone back on its decision to appoint a murder convict as an office-bearer at the local level after widespread protests from its rank and file and the public alike.

DYFI had earlier appointed Antony Joseph, who has come out on parole, as the vice-president of the DYFI Aryad Aikya Bharatham regional committee in Alappuzha district.

Antony was sentenced to life imprisonment along with six others for killing a CPI activist in November 2008. His sentence was later confirmed by the High Court.

Widespread protests erupted after the news about his appointment with his photograph was widely shared on social media. Later, a higher committee of the organisation intervened and removed him from the organisational post.

Antony, who is out on parole due to COVID-19 exemption, is now very much active in the CPM and the DYFI at the local level. It was alleged that he was appointed to the post, ignoring the objections raised by the DYFI functionaries themselves.

An urgent meeting of the regional committee held on Wednesday decided to divest him of the responsibility, DYFI Mararikulam block secretary VC Sreejith stated.

Sreejith said that the leadership used to give directives only regarding the appointment of the president and secretaries at the local level and in the case of other office-bearers, decisions were taken at the local level.

DYFI is the youth wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) which leads the Left Democratic Front (LDF) political alliance which is running the Kerala state government.

Kodiyeri on DYFI picking murder convict
CPM State Secretary Kodiyeri, meanwhile, evaded a question on why the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) appointed a convict in a murder case as its office-bearer.

"DYFI is an independent organisation. They should look into the issue. I am the secretary of the CPM," the CPM state secretary retorted.

He also said the question of finding a new person for the post of political secretary to the Chief Minister did not arise at this stage.

Kodiyeri added that a decision on allocating responsibilities for the newly appointed members of the CP State Secretariat would be taken only after the Party Congress.

CPM State Committee meeting, held on Wednesday, approved the proposals for amendments to the draft political resolution to be presented at the Party Congress which will be held in Kannur.