Kannur: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) will conduct an explanatory public meeting at Thillankeri village in Kannur district in a bid to distance itself from the damning claims of gangster Akash Thillankeri who is an accused in the politically sensational murder of Youth Congress activist Shuhaib in 2018.

The CPM leadership in Kerala wants former Kannur party district secretary P Jayarajan himself to take the lead and denounce the renegade as he held this post when Shuhaib was done away by political foes. Jayarajan has been asked to take part in the meeting to be held on Monday.
Even though P Jayarajan would be the main speaker at the meeting, the current Kannur district secretary M V Jayarajan also would be present.

Earlier, it was decided that only M V Jayarajan need to address the meeting. The decision was changed later and new posters of the public meeting with the photograph of P Jayarajan were released.

Earlier, Akash and his friends who were close to P Jayarajan had carried out an active campaign on the social media in support of the latter.

By denouncing Akash, the party intends to save its face just before the People's Defence Rally led by State CPM State Secretary M V Govindan reaches Kannur district. The party is unlikely to respond to Akash's charges after the meeting.

How Akash upset party
Akash created a flutter in the CPM circles a few days ago by complaining in a Facebook post that the party didn't back its cadre who were directly involved in the murder. His associate Jijo Thillankeri, who is also an accused in the Shuhaib murder case, meanwhile justified the crime in a social media post.

In his Facebook post Akash states that those who ordered Shuhaib's killing were given employment in the party’s cooperative establishments, while those who executed it faced poverty and ostracization, and there were no attempts from the party to correct them.

Akash also said he got involved in organised crime after the CPM failed to protect him and no one bothered to mend him. Akash is an activist of the CPM youth wing, DYFI.

Local-level bid to isolate Akash
The CPM leadership fears that Akash has fomented dissidence among a section of the party with his Facebook comments. Nineteen CPM branches under the Keezhoor local committee have been issued stern warnings after the party realised Akash's claim had resonance with many lower level cadre.

The Kannur district leadership of the party has advised its cadre that Akash need not be countered through social media. Akash and Jijo's claims on Shuhaib murder apeared on social media in the course of tit-for-tat comments by party factions.