Thaindian News

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 5 (IANS) Veteran Kerala CPI-M leader and former chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan Friday justified his visit to the man who was ousted from the party a few years back while the visit has ruffled the feathers of his detractors.

Achuthanandan said nothing much should be made of the visit last week to the home of Berlin Kunjuanandan Nair. The latter was ousted from the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in 2008 for violating discipline after he spoke bitterly about party state secretary Pinnarayi Vijayan.

When a person visits a home for a function, it should not be looked at with any other meaning, Achuthanandanhe said.

“A lot of people opposed to our party had taken part in Vijayan’s son’s marriage. Nothing more needs to be read into my visiting Nair’s home,” he said.

But another party veteran and close aide of Vijayan, M.M. Lawerence, reacted sharply to Achuthanandan’s statement.

“His visit to Nair’s home was just meant to cause confusion because the day he went to Nair’s home there was no function unlike what Achuthanandan claims. I don’t think the visit was warranted,” said Lawerence.

Achuthanandan, 87, leader of opposition in the Kerala assembly, has not had the best of relations with party state secretary Pinnarayi Vijayan and this worsened just ahead of the assembly polls in April when he was initially denied a party ticket to contest.

Vijayan has also written in the party mouthpiece that the visit was not in good taste.

The CPI-M politburo is likely to take up the issue at the meeting that began in Kolkata Friday.