Kannur: The move of the CPM to pacify V Kunhikrishnan, its popular Payyanur area secretary who was removed from his post after exposing widespread misappropriation of funds, has failed.
Senior leader P Jayarajan met Kunhikrishnan on Monday and held conciliatory talks, but the latter was firm that he would not change his decision to leave public life after being shunted out as area secretary.
It was Kunhikrishnan who had brought the issue of missing party money to the attention of the top leadership. Around Rs 1 crore related to three separate funds were embezzled.
His removal from the post had attracted the ire of several party members. Incidentally, Kunhikrishnan enjoys wide popularity in the area.
During Monday’s meeting, Kunhikrishnan reiterated that he would not cooperate with CPM again and demanded stern action against T I Madhusoodanan, MLA, who was found to have committed some lapses in handling the party funds.
Kunhikrishnan had earlier said that he had not filed any complaint against anyone in the party and had only pointed out misappropriation of party funds. He had solely used party mechanisms for these efforts, he added.
His subsequent announcement regarding retirement from public life shocked the leadership. Considering also his popularity in Payyanur, the CPM launched damage-control measures.
CPM's desperate moves
The CPM leadership had explained that Madhusoodanan and some others faced party action for their failure to audit funds collected for the party and present the audit reports before the area committee. The MLA was demoted from the district secretariat to the district committee.
The district leaders also claimed that Kunhikrishnan was shifted in order to solve the isunity in the area committee.
While the CPM has said that no disciplinary action was taken against Kunhikrishnan, it is a fact that the party was forced to check the utilization of funds following his intervention. It was also an audit conducted by Kunhikrishnan that found misappropriation of money and the matter reported to the district leadership.
Kunhikrishnan, a former cooperative bank employee, was regularly given the task of the audit in cooperative institutions under the CPM where malpractice was reported.