Cultural procession not part of J'shtami celebrations: CPI(M)

: Amid a raging row over a CPI-M backed outfit taking out Onam celebration procession in Kannur district on Janmashtrami day, the party today clarified these were not part of the festival.
CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told reporters here that the paegantries held yesterday were part of Onam winding up celebrations, but that RSS has unleashed a 'false propaganda' that these were part of the festival.
The clarification came in the wake of criticism that the CPI(M) sponsored cultural procession was actually Janmashtami celebrations to compete with RSS, whose youth outfit had taken out processions and also to check erosion of its cadre base.

The party had recently observed Ganesh Festival and Sree Narayana Guru jayantihi celebratins also.
"RSS is trying to take over Hindu festivals in the state. Ffunctions connected with Sree Krishna Jayanthi (Janmashtrami) has to be held in temples and instead RSS-BJP is taking to the streets the children dressed as 'Krishna', he said.
The Onam 'winding up celebration' was held under the party backed Balasangham and was not any function of Sree Krishna Jayanthi', he added.

Balakrishnan said the party would examine if any child had dressed up as Krishna in the cultural procession of CPI(M) and added that no directive to the effect had been given by the party'.

CPI(M) veteran V S Achuthanandan said the party has not moved from its declared ideology. It was 'propaganda' by vested interests that there was an erosion of cadres from CPI-M "CPI(M) has not conducted any 'Shobayatra' as part of Sri Krishna Jayanthi, he added.
Meanwhile, CPI state secretary Kannam Rajendran said spiritualism and revolutionary party cannot go hand in hand.
We do not know why CPI(M) staged such functions', he said adding the party would not hold conudct such programmes.