Thiruvananthapuram: Once again, the one-upmanship of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan within the CPM has come up for hot debate among political circles as news about banning CPM central committee member and senior party leader PK Sreemathi has kicked up a controversy. Following the news published in Mathrubhumi  on Sunday that Pinarayi Vijayan had asked sreemathi not to participate in state secretariat meetings, CPM found themselves on the defensive, trying to put up resistance albeit unconvincingly.

Though General Secretary MA Baby, State Secretary MV Govindan and PK Sreemathi herself have come out explaining party positions regarding the controversy, clarity regarding her participation in the state secretariat remains elusive. They cited the “Delhi Mission” of Sreemathi and brushed aside the news of barring the senior leader from participating in the state secretariat.

State Secretary M.V. Govindan clarified that the relaxation granted was solely for fulfilling national-level responsibilities. Meanwhile, P.K. Sreemathi and General Secretary M.A. Baby both responded, saying there was no ban. However, none of the leaders were willing to clearly state that Sreemathi could attend the secretariat meeting.

The state leadership maintains its stance that Sreemathi need not participate in the state secretariat meeting. However, Sreemathi says that if she is in Kerala, she will attend the secretariat meetings. At the same time, she has not given any assurance that she would be present in Kerala when the meetings take place.

It was at the state secretariat meeting held on April 19th that the Chief Minister reportedly told sreemathi that she need not work as part of the state unit or attend the secretariat meetings. Even though there was another secretariat meeting on  April 25th, Sreemathi left Thiruvananthapuram. The Chief Minister had also hosted a dinner for the secretariat members, but sreemathi was not included. Following all this, Sreemathi was informed that she could attend the state committee meeting scheduled for  April 26, and she returned to Thiruvananthapuram. With the decision to restrict a senior central committee member like Sreemathi from participating in party activities becoming public and causing controversy, it remains to be seen whether there will be any change in this decision.

No ban on sreemathi: M.A. Baby
There is no official ban on P.K. Sreemathi from attending party meetings, said General Secretary M.A. Baby. However, he also did not explicitly assure that she could attend the state secretariat meeting.

“She is working at the national level. She will participate in all the party committees that she is required to be part of as part of her national duties,” Baby said.

Work should be at the all-India level: M.V. Govindan
Kochi: CPM State Secretary M.V. Govindan denied reports that the Chief Minister imposed a ban on P.K.Sreemathi attending meetings. “This is an organisational decision, not the Chief Minister’s,” he said. sreemathi was included in the central committee by granting an age-related exemption, considering her role as a national leader. Her selection to the central committee was not to work within Kerala’s organisational activities but to engage at the national level, he added.

No ban; will attend secretariat: P.K. sreemathi
Kannur: CPM central committee member P.K.Sreemathi stated that there is no ban on her attending the state secretariat meetings. She said that if she is in Kerala when the meetings are held, she would continue to participate. The directive she received was to work at the national level as the President of the All India Democratic Women’s Association. That was exactly what M.V. Govindan also intended to convey, she said. She further added, “Bringing it to the level of saying that Pinarayi Vijayan told me not to attend the secretariat meetings — was it intended to insult him, or to create disrespect towards me? I don't understand the real purpose behind this."