'AMMA should immediately withdraw decision to take back actor'

: Senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat today demanded that the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) immediately withdraw its decision to take back actor Dileep, an accused in a sexual assault case.

"AMMA has passed a resolution by which they re-admitted an individual, who is an accused in a horiffic case of crime against a colleague in the same industry," the Politbureau member said at a seminar at Wandoor in Malappuram district.

She demanded that the association immediately withdraw its decision to take back the accused actor.

"This kind of highly male chauvinist and patriarchal approaches in an association, which is supposed to represent the most progressive of cultures, I think it is totally unacceptable', Karat said.

Meanwhile, in a statement, the CPI(M) state secretariat described as 'unfortunate' the controversial decision of AMMA to take back the actor and said it should have been avoided.

The association's decision was not right, it said.

A group of actresses had resigned from the forum in protest and the oganisation came in for severe criticism from society, it said and hoped that AMMA would understand the public sentiments.

Some 'vested interests' were trying to weaken and divide the association in the name of women's safety, it said, adding there was an attempt to 'tarnish' and 'isolate' the left MLAs--and an MP in the association.

The stand taken by left MLAs-- Mukesh and K B Ganesh Kumar and Innocent, MP, had come in for criticism from various quarters with even state ministers coming out against them.

The Left stand is that women should get decent and deserving position in every sector, the statement said.

The government and the left parties had upheld unbiased and strong stand against the assault on the young actress.

"The hidden agenda of those trying to humiliate the Left front indirectly in connection with the incident is not going to yield any result' it said.