Crucial CPI(M) politburo meet today likely to take up controversial ‘letter’ leak issue

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 18
Hours before the CPI(M) politburo meeting is to begin its deliberations on Monday, a state Minister dismissed the latest controversy that has hit the Kerala unit of the Left party

It was on Sunday that the controversy surfaced after a Chennai-based businessman alleged that Shyam, son of CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan, was involved in leaking a confidential complaint submitted to the party’s Politburo.

The Chennai-based businessman, Muhammad Sharshad, said he had submitted a complaint disclosing alleged illegal financial transactions involving certain CPI(M) leaders.

According to him, the documents attached to his petition were leaked and later surfaced as evidence in a defamation case filed by London-based businessman Rajesh Krishna.

On Monday, State Education Minister V. Sivankutty told the media that this fresh controversy is nothing but a routine allegation being levelled against their party.

“All know that there are crucial elections that are fast approaching, and all saw that there was a similar onslaught before the 2021 Assembly polls. So this present one also needs to be seen in such light,” said Sivankutty.

“The national leadership (politburo) will make the necessary clarifications as this issue was never discussed at our state-level committees,” added Sivankutty.

In the dock through this fresh controversy is Govindan, as the complainant Sharshad claimed that Govindan’s son Shyam was responsible for passing on the documents to Krishna. Krishna is based in London, and Govindan, according to Sharshad, had visited the home of Krishna during his visit there.

Sharshad also pointed out that he had alerted and briefed Govindan about how Krishna had been going about, but Govindan failed to act.

Early this year, the CPI(M)’s party congress held early this year in Madurai suffered a jolt when Rajesh, who was invited to attend the event, was asked not to attend when Sharshad’s allegation was discussed then.

With the national leadership meeting to be held over two days in Delhi starting Monday, Govindan said he does not "react to nonsense" when he was asked about it just ahead of the meeting.