ALAPPUZHA: KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala has demanded that CPI State secretary Veliyam Bhargavan clarify his stand on the criticism levelled by CPI(M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan against the former Chief Minister and CPI leader C. Achutha Menon.

At a `Meet-the-Press' programme at Alappuzha Press Club on Friday, Mr. Chennithala said the Congress did not approve the remark made by Mr. Vijayan. "We want to know whether the CPI would approve it," the KPCC president said.

Mr. Chennithala said the Congress was of the opinion that Mr. Menon was among the best chief ministers who ruled the State. The Achutha Menon ministry

was a model ministry, he said.

The KPCC president said the CPI had a more realistic stand on many issues that affected the State compared to the CPI (M). "It is not a party that indulged in violent politics," he said.

Mr. Chennithala said the CPI (M) was either cheating the LDF constituents or the Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran) in the issue of accepting the DIC(K) as an LDF partner. The CPI (M) should give a clear answer on the issue, he said.

The KPCC president said the CPI (M) was facing a serious crisis with the State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and the Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan taking diametrically opposite stands on various issues and publicly expressing it.

He pointed out that Mr. Achuthanandan had said that there

were basic reasons for his difference of opinion with Mr. Vijayan on the issue of the inclusion of DIC(K) in the LDF. While Mr. Vijayan said Mr. Achuthanandan had been misquoted, the Opposition leader had not issued any denial, he pointed out.

He said the march being undertaken by Mr. Vijayan was an exercise aimed at sidelining his opponents in the party and the coalition partners. The

posters printed by the CPI (M) as publicity material for the programme carried the picture of only Mr. Vijayan.

The CPI (M), which at one time opposed the idea of individual leadership, was now worshipping Mr. Vijayan, he said.

Mr. Chennithala said all those who approved the leadership of Congress president Sonia Gandhi were welcome to return to the Congress.

DCC president C.R. Jayaprakash was also present at the programme.

Earlier, Mr. Chennithala inaugurated a District Congress Committee special convention here. Mr. Jayaprakash presided.

Those who spoke at the function included Tourism Minister K.C. Venugopal, KPCC general secretary K.C. Rajan, KPCC secretaries Johnson Abraham and Mannar Abdul

Latheef. District Congress Committee general secretary Abey Kuriakkose welcomed the gathering.

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