Kannur: The ruling CPM in Kerala on Thursday refuted the corruption allegations raised by a former associate editor of the state's party mouthpiece in a social media post against a top party functionary.
G Sakthidharan, the former associate editor of the party mouthpiece, in a recent Facebook post said that several years ago he helped a senior CPM leader count a huge amount of currency -- totalling over Rs 2 crore -- and pack it into two large reed mats in an office in Kaloor in Ernakulam district of the state. He said the cash was given to the senior party leader by big shots.
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He described the leader as "now the trillionaire son of an ordinary toddy tapper" in his post.
The money was transported to Thiruvananthapuram in an Innova car in which there was a minister of the present Cabinet, Sakthidharan has claimed in his post.
He said that in another incident, a millionaire gifted two packets of currency, both of the same size, to the CPM leader at a hotel in Kovalam late at night several years ago.
One packet, which contained Rs 10 lakh, was handed over to a senior staff member in the office of the party and the other was taken to his flat by the CPM leader, Sakthidharan's post has claimed.
Refuting these allegations, senior CPM leader and LDF convener E P Jayarajan said no allegations have been made against the party or the Left front.
"It is being interpreted in that manner," he contended.
He also contended that the allegations in the post were baseless and since it happened several years ago, it has no relevance now.
"Moreover, no complaint has been made by him (Sakthidharan)," he said.
Jayarajan said that KPCC chief K Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly V D Satheesan were raking it up as an issue "to divert attention from what they have done".
"Their efforts to hamper the probe into allegations of corruption against them will not succeed," he added.
His reaction comes in the wake of senior Congress leaders, including Sudhakaran, Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala, seeking an investigation into the revelations by Sakthidharan.
Satheesan claimed that the serious allegations were made by Sakthidharan against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan when he was party secretary.
"We dare the CM to order an investigation into the allegations," he said.
Neither the chief minister nor his office have reacted to Satheesan's demand.
Chennithala said that if vigilance cases or probes can be initiated against Sudhakaran and Satheesan in connection with things that happened several years in the past, then the claims made in Sakthidharan's post too need to be investigated.
He said that handing over the matter to an ADGP by the government was intended to sweep the matter under the rug.
"Sakthidharan was a proper Communist. He was associate editor of the CPM mouthpiece. So why are the revelations by him not being investigated?" he asked.
He also alleged that the BJP and CPM were hand in glove with each other in the matter as the saffron party said it cannot investigate these allegations without a complaint when it has been directing probes by CBI, ED, Economic Offences department and other agencies against Congress leaders across the country without receiving any complaints. PTI
Published: 30 Jun 2023, 06:15 am IST
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