CPI(M) defends Jayarajan, says nothing wrong in meeting Opposition leaders

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 29 (PTI) The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala on Monday defended party veteran and LDF convener EP Jayarajan and said there was nothing wrong with his meeting with senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar.

The party said it was quite common for political leaders to meet their counterparts from other parties.

However, the Left party made it clear that directions have been given to Jayarajan to end his relationship with persons like T G Nandakumar, who allegedly played the role of a middleman by facilitating his alleged meeting with Javadekar, who is also the in-charge of the BJP in the state.

While addressing a press conference at the AKG Centre here, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said some 'yellow journalism' is suggesting that the labourer's party will fall for right-wing politics with just a meeting with a BJP leader, but Left parties have a different history in Kerala.

He said Jayarajan himself had confirmed about the meeting, which had happened a year ago.

"Now this is being discussed as a big issue," Govindan said, answering a barrage of questions from the media.

The whole issue was the result of a larger conspiracy by someone with absolute hatred for Communists and Jayarajan would take legal action against those who have been propagating utter lies with regard to this meeting.

Govindan further said the party would support Jayarajan in his legal fight.

"The party, however, has taken a stand that the relationship of party cadres with individuals like Nandakumar should end," he said.

Analysing the recently held Lok Sabha elections in Kerala, the CPI(M) leader said the Left would win a majority of the Parliament seats in the southern state.

"Almost all LDF voters have come to the polling booths and the reduced polling was witnessed in the Congress-led UDF's strong pockets. So the reduction in the polling percentage is going to adversely affect the UDF," he said.

Govindan said the BJP is getting weakened with every passing phase of the ongoing general elections and people have squarely rejected 'Modi's guarantee'.

The Lok Sabha polls are held in seven phases and two phases have been completed, including 20 seats in Kerala.

The CPI(M) state secretary accused Congress of aligning with the BJP in Kerala to weaken the Left party.

The grand-old party was considered a secular force to fight the BJP's communal agenda but it had stooped to the level of communally polarising people in Kerala, especially in constituencies like Vadakara, Govindan alleged.

He said the UDF carried out a personal hate campaign against LDF candidate K K Shailaja in Vadakara instead of fighting the elections politically.

He also accused BJP leaders of echoing the communal agenda of the PM, saying that some leaders are telling blatant lies in Kerala in an attempt to legitimise Modi's speeches.

Meanwhile, the opposition Congress took a dig at the CPI(M) and charged that the Marxist party and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan are scared of Jayarajan and do not have the courage to take action against him despite all the controversies.

Hitting hard at CPI(M), Satheesan accused Govindan of giving a green signal to the party cadres for joining BJP.

"The CPI(M) and the chief minister are afraid to touch E P Jayarajan. The CPI(M) in Kerala doesn't have the courage to raise a finger against him who spoke to the BJP as the agent of CM Vijayan," he alleged in a statement.

Satheesan further charged that the Left Party has compromised with communalism to protect the perpetrators of flagrant corruption and those who reap its rewards.

Sharing similar views, Chennithala said the CPI(M)-BJP undercurrents have been exposed through the present controversies involving Jayarajan.

The secret pact between the BJP and the Left Party had begun during the last Parliament elections, and it was active during the previous Assembly polls as well, he alleged.

"Jayarajan is the troubleshooter for CM Vijayan. He will not lift even a finger without the knowledge of the CM," Chennithala alleged.

Earlier in the day, Jayarajan sought to downplay the controversy surrounding his meeting with Javadekar, saying it was not a political one, which is why he did not inform his party about it.

He also dismissed the claim of BJP's Lok Sabha candidate for Alappuzha, Shobha Surendran, that he expressed interest to join the saffron party and reiterated that he had never ever met her before or discussed it even over the phone.

The CPI(M) leader said he hadn't liked Surendran and termed the woman leader's speeches as "awkward." "Is there a need to inform the party about all those who meet me? Did any political discussion take place? A person just came and met me. Should I inform the party about it?" he asked.

The CPI(M) veteran also said there was nothing unusual for people to meet senior leaders, and there was no need to report everything to the party.

Asked whether he was being targeted, the leader said he suspected that there was an agenda behind the developments.

Nandakumar also rejected Shobha Surendran's charges against the CPI(M) leader.

"What Shobha Surendran had claimed against E P Jayarajan was baseless. She had never met him... She had no role in the meeting between Jayarajan and Javadekar," he told the media.

The row acquired a new dimension after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on Lok Sabha election day, cautioned Jayarajan to be vigilant in his associations. PTI