CPM punishes VS, publicly censures him

Senior Marxist leader VS Achuthanandan, who has been critical of the CPI(M) leadership in Kerala, was on Sunday publicly censured - the third stage of disciplinary action - by the party on charges of providing ammunition to its opponents.

Senior Marxist leader VS Achuthanandan, who has been critical of the CPI(M) leadership in Kerala, was on Sunday publicly censured - the third stage of disciplinary action - by the party on charges of providing ammunition to its opponents.

"We are not happy to do this. We hope this chapter ends here," CPM general secretary Prakash Karat told a press conference.

The central committee described him as the senior-most leader of the party in Kerala and expected that he would act in a manner that would help the party to face the current situation.

For disciplinary action, the CPM has six stages - warning, censure, public censure, removal from the post in the party, suspension from full party membership for any period but not exceeding one year, and expulsion.

Achuthanandan, the leader of the opposition in Kerala and a member of the central committee, has been at loggerheads with the party leadership on several issues including the killing of CPM rebel TP Chandrasekharan.

He was also opposed to the decisions taken by his bete noire and Kerala CPM secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, whose faction had insisted in the central committee that strict action should be taken against Achuthanandan.

Karat said the central panel considered a report submitted by the politburo on the prevailing situation in Kerala and party-related matters there.