Kerala’s Marxist Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday gave strong indications that his party colleague and Power Minister MM Mani, presently in the eye of a political storm over his alleged obscene remarks against the woman tea estate workers of Munnar, is unlikely to resign or to be expelled from the CPI(M)-led lDF Cabinet even as the Marxist party reportedly came to the conclusion that disciplinary action was required against him.
Mani came under intense criticism at a meeting of the CPI(M)’s State secretariat, in which he is a member, late Tuesday evening. The Minister told newsmen after the meeting that he would abide by any decision the party took against him. Sources said several leaders including State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan came down heavily on Mani for his dirty remarks.
A final decision on the organizational action to be taken against Mani could be taken at the meeting of the CPI(M)’s State committee on Wednesday while sources said the action against him was unlikely to be stringent. However, the Opposition and those protesting against Mani’s remarks said organizational action was not sufficient in the matter.
Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister effectively declared total support for Mani in the State Assembly amidst nosy protests from the Opposition. He said Mani committed no wrong and the media was responsible for the controversy. Mani himself claimed in the Assembly that he had not insulted any woman through his controversial speech the other day.
“Mani is a village person and his rustic style would naturally come up in his speeches. What is happening here is an effort to make political mileage by exaggerating something like that,” Pinarayi said while replying to the Opposition’s notice for an adjournment motion over the issue of the alleged dirty remarks Mani had made against Munnar’s woman workers.
The Congress-led Opposition UDF said that it would intensify its protests inside the Assembly as well as outside till Mani resigned or was expelled from the Cabinet. “He is a disgrace to cultural Kerala,” said Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala. The UDF will hold protest demonstrations in all the 140 Assembly constituencies in the State on Wednesday.
Some dirty remarks made by Mani in a recent speech about the legendary agitation held in Munnar in 2015 by Penpilai Orumai (Women’s Unity), a forum of woman tea workers, demanding higher wages and bonus had triggered State-wide protests. The forum’s leaders started an indefinite stir in Munnar immediately demanding his resignation and apology.
After the statements of Pinarayi and Mani in the Assembly on Tuesday, the Orumai intensified its agitation with two of its leaders, Gomathy Augustine and Kausalya, starting an indefinite protest fast. “If it is rustic style, will he speak in the same style about his childrenIJ Will he speak in that style about CPI(M) familiesIJ” asked Gomathy.
While criticising some aspects of the recent anti-encroachment drive of Revenue Department officials in Munnar in his controversial speech, Mani said, “Many things had happened during the Penpilai Orumai (struggle). Boozing and other dirty things had taken place there. The ‘programme’ was in the nearby forest. We know all that.”
Functionaries of several political parties including UDF constituents, BJP and AAP reached Munnar on Tuesday to declare solidarity with the protesting Penpilai Orumai members. AAP leader and environmentalist CR Neelakantan started an indefinite fast in Munnar in support of the Orumai workers.
Mani claimed in the Assembly that he had not insulted anyone. “I had not mentioned the name of any woman. Even the word woman was not used in my speech… I am an ordinary person, born and brought up amidst plantation workers. I can’t speak the language of professors and scholars,” he said.
The Opposition members, who had arrived in the Assembly with placards and banners featuring slogans against Mani, created pandemonium by shouting slogans against him and the lDF Government and encircling the Speaker’s podium forcing him to first adjourn the House for 45 minutes and then for the day in the morning itself.