The Kerala unit of the CPI on Saturday expressed the party’s displeasure over the comments made by its national general secretary D Raja and his wife Annie Raja about the State Police.
Kanam Rajendran, secretary of Kerala unit of the CPI told reporters on Saturday that the husband-wife duo’s comments about the State administration and police have brought disrepute to the party and he would inform both of them that party do not subscribe to their views.
Early last week Annie Raja, the CPI’s global face, had come down heavily on the Kerala Police and charged that RSS gangs have infiltrated into the police force and this was the reason for the increase in the attacks on women and children in the State. Though hailing from Kerala, Annie Raja is based in New Delhi and rarely comments on State politics.
The CPI(M) took the comments seriously because the police department comes under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. But the party did not issue any rejoinder to the comments made by Annie Raja. Vijayan himself told reporters that the comment was serious and would be looked into.
But notes have been exchanged between the leaders of the CPI(M) and the CPI about the comments. The State leaders of the CPI took objections to the reported comment by Annie and reacted strongly to it. This made D Raja, the national general secretary of the party come out openly and support his spouse.
On Saturday, Rajendran in his media interaction, said that Annie Raja’s comments were made in poor taste. “we will inform Raja and Annie about the resentment created in the party over their comments. We do not mind whether Raja is the national secretary or not. Since he and Annie made comments which are not in synch with truth, we will definitely tell them that they erred in making such allegations,” said Rajendran.
This has cast a shadow on the prospects of Raja’s re-election as national secretary during the upcoming CPI Party Congress to be held in 2022. The Kerala unit of the party is even otherwise unhappy with Raja’s performance. He is occupying a chair which was once adored by the likes of Rajswar Rao and Indrajit Gupta,” said a senior CPI leader. He said Binoy Viswam from Kerala is being groomed to become the national secretary of the CPI.