Kozhikode: The CPM district committee on Saturday expelled its Kozhikode town area committee leader Pramod Kottoolli from the party terming his explanation over the PSC bribery allegation 'unsatisfactory'.
It is alleged that Pramod received Rs 22 lakh from a woman doctor after promising to make her a member of the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC). He reportedly used PWD Minister Mohammad Riyas' name to convince the physician. The district committee decided to expel the leader from the primary membership of the party after raising suspicion over his financial deals.
When a section of party officials proposed avoiding stringent action and mulled over demotion or suspension, another group opposed it. They claimed the party had obtained strong evidence against Pramod to prove the bribery allegation. According to sources, they argued that a failure to take strong action against Pramod would give out a wrong message to the public and supporters. Considering these arguments, the district committee expelled Pramod from the party.
Talking to the media persons, Pramod claimed that neither party leadership nor the area committee informed him about his expulsion.
Pramod ends protest
Seeking evidence for the allegations against him, Pramod launched a sit-in in front of the house of Sreejith who raised the bribery allegations against him. Alleging a conspiracy against him, the expelled leader accused Sreejith of raising the fake bribery charges against him. Along with his mother and son, Pramod held a sit-in in front of Sreejith's house at Chevayoor seeking a response from him.
He asserted that Sreejith must prove his allegations before his mother. He asserted that Sreejith must answer his questions including who received the money, for whom, when and where the money was handed over.
Demanding a probe into the allegations, he said that he would file an official complaint soon. "Today, we can use technology to identify whether a person is lying or not. I'm ready for a lie detection test," he declared.
He declined to answer reporters' questions about whether a rift in the CPM was the reason for the allegations. He claimed that he had dedicated his whole life to the party. He asserted that he wouldn't demand the party to review its decision, but only wanted to prove his innocence before his mother.
“I'm not challenging the party. I have been serving the party since I turned 14. This is a fight of an ordinary man. I am not part of any real estate mafia. Some people are trying to frame me as a liar and a bad person. I'm just trying to prove my innocence,” said Pramod.
But later in the evening, he ended his protest citing his mother's health condition.
