Senior Kerala CPI leader Ismail to face party action

The Communist Party of India (CPI) said on Wednesday that one of its topmost Kerala leaders K.E. Ismail will face party action for an interview he gave to a TV channel.

Ismail, former state minister and national executive member, has been dropped from the party's list of leaders who attend the Left Democratic Front (LDF) meetings and since he is a senior leader, the state unit has recommended further action be decided by the CPI's national leadership, said CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran.

In an interview to a TV channel a few days back, Ismail had said the resignation of state Transport Minister Thomas Chandy over land grab allegations came at the appropriate time, which was contradictory to the decision of his party.

The CPI's four ministers boycotted a cabinet meeting on November 15 to protest against Chandy's presence - an action that led to an uproar within the Left, with even Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressing his displeasure and terming it an unprecedented act. After attending the cabinet meeting, Chandy put in his papers.

Addressing reporters here after the meeting of the CPI executive, Rajendran said that the statement made by Ismail was not in tune with what the party had decided.

"Our party had made it very clear on the 12th of this month at the LDF meeting that Chandy should quit, but it was surprising that Chandy took part in the cabinet on the 15th. This was not what we had unanimously decided. From now on there will be only three CPI leaders who will attend the LDF meeting (instead of four as earlier including Ismail).

"Today's meeting also decided to intimate to the national executive the displeasure of the state executive at the manner in which Ismail spoke," he said.

Rajendran's announcement has brought to open in the state CPI unit, as for a while, Rajendran and Ismail have been at loggerheads.

Incidentally, Vijayan and Ismail have a good relation.

--IANS

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