Murder case: Cracks widen as VS takes on Vijayan

Exposing cracks within the CPM's Kerala unit, party leader VS Achuthanandan continued to differ with state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan over issues related to the sensational murder of TP Chandrashekh-aran, a local leader who left the Marxist organisation to float his own party.

Exposing cracks within the CPM's Kerala unit, party leader VS Achuthanandan continued to differ with state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan over issues related to the sensational murder of TP Chandrashekh-aran, a local leader who left the Marxist organisation to float his own party.

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Vijayan maintains that the Kerala police are deliberately going after the CPM to implicate its leaders in the murder.

A day earlier, Achuthanandan had told the party central leadership that all he did was talk about taking "corrective" steps for the benefit of the party on an issue where there was overwhelming public opinion against the CPM position.

TK Rajeesh (38), prime accused in the murder, has reportedly confessed to his involvement in the crime, and spilled the beans on local CPM leaders who had allegedly masterminded the plot.

Vijayan had stated in New Delhi that Rajeesh was not a party member. The CPM's Kannur district secretariat had also said that the party has nothing to with Rajeesh.

When asked if Rajeesh is a party member, Achuthanandan made a sufficiently clear-yet- vague statement that went: "All those things will come out one after the other."

As Achuthanandan is the party's most popular leader in the state and the leader of opposition in the state assembly, he is making the most of this controversy. The veteran leader knows that he would not get a better opportunity to settle scores with Vijayan. Even leaders such as central committee member Thomas Isaac, earlier identified as a close aide of Vijayan, have agreed with certain points raised by Achuthanandan on the murder.