Thiruvananthapuram: K R Ajayan, former editor in charge of Deshabhimani’s weekend supplement, has resigned following a dispute over the title of a published article, “Kallan Vijayan” (Vijayan the Thief). The resignation comes after he was previously relieved of his editorial duties and asked to either resign or proceed on extended leave.

The controversy originates from an article authored by journalist T C Rajesh about Vijayan, a well-known theatre artist from Pullampara. The piece, originally written for the CPM organ Deshabhimani, was withheld by the publication following internal objections over its title.

The author subsequently published the piece on social media under the original headline, “Kallan Vijayan, Dhanya Nadaka Gramam, Muttippara P O”.

The Resident Editor had issued a show-cause notice to Ajayan, alleging that he refused to alter the headline despite editorial board objections and leaked internal information to the press. Ajayan maintained that the title was not anti-party and accurately reflected the subject of the profile.

The internal discord has raised broader concerns within the party regarding editorial oversight, particularly under the leadership of Chief Editor Puthalath Dineshan and Resident Editor M Swaraj.

Critics within the organisation have expressed dissatisfaction over the failure to handle a routine headline without generating public controversy and withdrawing the Sunday supplement.