Achuthanandan 'supports' CBI probe demand in TP murder case

Taking a divergent position from that of his party's state leadership, veteran CPI(M) and state Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan today supported the demand for a CBI probe into the murder of RMP leader T P Chandrasekheran.
"I do not think anybody will disagree with the demand of Rema, the hapless widow of Chandrasekheran, to have a CBI probe into the murder," he told reporters here.
Achuthanandan, who had been using the murder as a weapon to attack internal foes, said that he was having the same opinion that of CPI(M) General Secretary Prakesh Karat that no persons involved in the killing of Chandrasekheran should be in the party.

A local court had on January 24 convicted 12 persons, including three party workers, in the Chandrasekheran murder case but acquitted several functionaries of conspiracy charge.
State CPI(M) leadership had always maintained that party had nothing to do with murder of Chandrasekheran, a former CPI(M) leader, at party bastion Onchiyam near Vatakara in Kozhikode district on May 4, 2012.
CPI(M) state Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan had said the court verdict vindicated the party's stand. However, the wife of Chandrasekheran said "the role of CPI(M) in the murder has become clear with the judgement".

Achuthanandan criticised Kannur District party Committee decision to welcome to the party a group of people who left Namo Vichar Manch, a pro-BJP outfit in the state.

"They are once the supporters of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Let the people decide whether it was good to welcome such opportunists to the party."
In this regard, Achuthanandan also pointed out the drubbing the party received in the last Lok Sabha polls due to its association with People's Democratic Party (PDP) of Abdul Nazer Madhani.
"The number of seats came down from 19 to four due party's association with PDP," he said.