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Amid row, CPI(M) denies tarnishing Mani’s image
:The ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Tuesday denied the allegation that it tarnished the image of late Kerala Congress (Mani) leader K M Mani in the Supreme Court while hearing a petition on assembly violence, in which it suffered a setback
:The ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Tuesday denied the allegation that it tarnished the image of late Kerala Congress (Mani) leader K M Mani in the Supreme Court while hearing a petition on assembly violence, in which it suffered a setback.
The KC (M), which is part of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), has now strongly protested over the reported remarks and asked the government to withdraw them immediately. While hearing the case on Monday, counsel for the Kerala government Ranjith Kumar reportedly said protests on the house floor was a natural one against a corrupt politician.
While the LDF said the counsel’s words were twisted by a section of media, many Congress leaders said it was an insult to the late leader and asked the KC(M) to come out of the coalition. Later, the SC refused to quash the case and adjourned it for further hearing on July 15.
“The counsel was referring to the corrupt regime of the UDF, not a particular leader. A section of the media deliberately twisted these words to create a smokescreen. We have already informed the Kerala Congress about this,” said party acting secretary A Vijayaraghavan. He said a section of the media has conspired with the opposition to drive a wedge between the CPI(M) and KC (M).
Kerala Congress chairman Jose K Mani, son of K M Mani, said he’s satisfied with the explanation given by the LDF. “It seems counsel’s words were misinterpreted. The Congress-led UDF is trying to create a wedge in the ruling coalition,” he said
Many party leaders admitted that they were upset with the remarks of the counsel. “We have already conveyed our protest and asked the government to withdraw these remarks,” said party general secretary Stephen George. He said the party chairman would explain it later even as Congress has stepped up pressure on the party. “We feel K M Mani is not corrupt, but the ruling party says he is. It is for the KC (M) to decide now,” said opposition leader V D Satheesan.
The Kerala assembly had witnessed violent incidents in March 2015 after opposition LDF legislators prevented then finance minister K M Mani from presenting the state budget alleging his role in the bar bribery case. Angry members snapped mikes, threw chairs, destroyed furniture and damaged lights in the melee, and two legislators were hospitalised later. The session was live when the violence took place in the House.
Speaker N Sakthan later filed a police complaint against six LDF legislators. Among them, V Sivankutty is the education minister in the current Pinarayi Vijayan ministry, and KT Jaleel is a sitting member. In his complaint, the Speaker said property worth ₹2.20 lakh got damaged in the melee, and they tried to manhandle treasury bench members and brought enough shame to the House.
When the LDF came to the power in 2016, it tried to withdraw the case, but a local court first rejected it. Then, the government moved the High Court, which also turned down its plea. The government had invoked the privilege of legislators to justify its decision to withdraw the case, but the high court rejected it, saying privilege was not a licence to carry out violent activities in the House. During a discussion in the assembly last year, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had blamed the Congress-led UDF for dragging an assembly issue to the court. Later, former opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala also joined the case as a party.
After the death of K M Mani in 2019, his party split, and his son took the splinter faction to the LDF camp. A predominant Christian party, its foray into the LDF had helped it win many seats in the Christian heartland of central Travancore.
