New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan came under fire at the two-day politburo meeting in Delhi over invoking the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against two young CPM workers in Kozhikode early this month.
According to sources, Pinarayi was at the receiving end after three politburo members came down heavily on him regarding the manner in which the UAPA was invoked.
Following the heavy criticism, Pinarayi's explanation was that it was the police which resorted to this and appropriate action would be taken when it comes before the government, as it's the state government which has to give the final call for the UAPA charge.
But this explanation fell on deaf ears with three senior leaders expressing deep anguish, as it has been invoked in a state that's being ruled by the CPM. The meeting decided to take up this issue at the Central Committee meeting of the party scheduled to take place in the state capital in January.
The two students of law and journalism, Allen Shuhaib and Thaha Fasal both full time CPM workers, were arrested after the police recovered leaflets that supported the Maoists movement besides condemning the Union government's action in Jammu and Kashmir from them.
Incidentally, as soon as the news surfaced of the invoking of UAPA, party general secretary Sitaram Yechuri and his predecessor Prakash Karat condemned the use of UAPA which according to the party is a draconian one.
The two youths are presently in judicial custody, with the Kerala High Court, now all set to give its orders on their bail pleas.
A section in the party is upset with the way Pinarayi has been carrying himself both in the party and in the government, but given the iron grip that he has over both, the displeasure continues to be in murmurs.
After losing all but one of the 20 Lok Sabha seats in the polls, Pinarayi had mellowed down, but he regained his posture, after the party was able to wrest three assembly byelection seats, from the Congress-led UDF, out of the six which went to the polls, recently.
(With inputs from IANS)
