Kerala forest minister K Raju has admitted that his absence in the state when it reeled under heavy floods was a mistake. The floods became severe after he left for Germany, and though he tried to return he couldn't, he said.
The minister had left for Germany on August 16 after taking part in the Independence Day parade at Kottayam and attending a meeting of officials on August 15.
When the rain inundated the state and brought unfathomable miseries, the minister was nowhere to be seen.
After an embarrassing media expose, protests broke out in the CPI and the opposition against the untimely trip.
When things started getting worse, CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran intervened and asked Raju to return from Germany. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan too had voiced his displeasure over the trip.
A faction within the party had taken a strong stand against Raju, pointing out that the minister's act put the entire party in the dock.
However, another group was of the view that since Kanam Rajendran's media statement that the trip was ill-timed was akin to a public dressing down, the minister should be spared from further consequences.
Though Kanam wanted the executive council to meet to take a decision over the issue, the anti-Raju faction in the party said that any delay would affect the image of the party. They are now seeking a decision at the executive meeting scheduled for August 28.
Some senior leaders who had supported Raju too have now changed stance. They feel that Raju’s response to media on his return from Germany could have been avoided, pointing out that the statements have tarnished the party's image.
