Ask CPM state secretary M V Govindan what the CPM Central Committee meant when, in its ‘Review of the 18th Lok Sabha Elections’, it said "instances of arrogant behaviour of cadres – from top to bottom – are alienating people from the Party." Govindan would say this is about the behaviour of all the six-and-a-half lakh party members in Kerala except Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

“Every party member, the six-and-a-half lakh members including the thousands in leadership positions, should identify their problems and initiate rectification measures," Govindan told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. "Whatever behaviour alienates people should be rectified. It is meant for the party as a whole," he said.

Has the party identified "instances of arrogant behaviour"? The reply came quick: "The very use of the word suggests that the party has done so." It seemed tantalising that the CPM state secretary had come inches close to spilling party secrets.

All of a sudden, as if realising in a flash that he had fallen into a political trap, Govindan turned aggressive. "Right away you are thinking of the Chief Minister's style of functioning. No, that is not what has been suggested (in the CC report). I can confirm that. If you are trying to say that the crux of the CC document is that the CM should change his style, it is not that," he said.

Govindan also emphasised that "arrogant behaviour" was not shoved down the state unit's throat by the party Central Committee. "This was examined and reported by the Kerala unit of the party and not a secret stumbled upon by the Central Committee," he said.

While at "arrogant behaviour", the Chief Minister's relaunch of his 'rescue mission' comment was a reflexive poser from the side of reporters. Govindan, at first, tried to evade the question. "It is just a manner of speaking," he said.

When pressed, he went into 'Z category' mode. "What is there to change in the CM's statement," he shot back. Govindan repeated what the CM said in the Assembly on July 4, that 'rescue mission' is the only way to describe the action of preventing someone from getting knocked down by a bus. Clearly, for the state secretary, all the happenings that are condensed in the words 'rescue mission' are not examples of "arrogant behaviour".

There was 'Z category' protection for P Jayarajan, too. Govindan said that the party had years ago taken an uncompromising stand against wrong and unlawful tendencies like smuggling and forceful confiscation of smuggled gold ('swarnam pottikkal'). Jayarajan and his son were recently accused of having close links with criminal gangs by a dissenter who was once in the leadership of the party’s Kannur unit.

"People indulging in such criminal activities have no place in the CPM. It was our leadership that included P Jayarajan that had strongly gone ahead with this decision," Govindan said, and added: "P Jayarajan is not involved in any of this and he is one of the leaders guiding the party in the process of correction."