The CPM in Malappuram went ballistic on P V Anvar, hours after state secretary M V Govindan declared his party had severed ties with the Nilambur MLA over his polemic against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The party's Malappuram unit organised a protest march and public meeting on Friday that culminated with comrades burning the rogue MLA in effigy. Fiery words from the party's district leadership fuelled the protest.

CPM's Malappuram district secretary, E N Mohandas, gave Anvar a few titles, namely 'Godfather of gold smugglers', 'New P C George' and 'Female version of Swapna Suresh'.

Mohandas also did not take into account an alleged comparison of Anvar with EMS Namboodiripad, the doyen of the communist movement in Kerala. "Anvar's name cannot be spoken in the same breath with EMS," Mohandas said at the public meeting. "EMS came from one of the wealthiest families in Malabar. He donated all his wealth to the poor. He did not earn his wealth through gold smuggling like Anvar," Mohandas said.

The diatribe, which seemingly had the blessings of the state leadership, went further: "He thinks this party needs his protection. But Mr Anvar, you haven't grown enough." The CPM leader was certain that Anvar's public outrage would die out like P C George's. "What all didn't he (George) do? He raised allegations and climbed the hill (Sabarimala). Anvar is nothing but the new P C George," Mohandas said. George, a former MLA from Poonjar in Kottayam, was a pebble in the shoe for both leading fronts in the state for his unabashed remarks.

Mohandas then found another comparison: "A few years ago, there was a lady called Swapna Suresh. Anvar is the male equivalent of Swapna Suresh." She was a key accused in the infamous gold smuggling through the Thiruvananthapuram Airport that caused CM Pinarayi much shame following the imprisonment of his Principal Secretary, M Sivasankar. Mohandas urged the CPM cadre in Malappuram to 'isolate the Judas', P V Anvar.