Kannur (Kerala), Jan 26 (NationPress) The ruling CPI-M in Kerala took decisive action on Monday by expelling V. Kunjikrishnan, a prominent member of its Kannur district committee, for allegedly betraying the party. This decision follows his public disclosure of alleged discrepancies in the Dhanaraj Martyrs’ Fund.

The announcement of his expulsion from primary membership was made by district Secretary K.K. Ragesh during a press briefing, where he claimed that Kunjikrishnan had become a “weapon in the hands of party adversaries”.

Ragesh stated that the removal was prompted by Kunjikrishnan’s interview with Asianet News, a Malayalam TV channel owned by state BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar, where he revived allegations previously addressed and resolved by the district committee back in April 2022.

“By opting to go public, especially with elections on the horizon, Kunjikrishnan has stabbed the party in the back,” Ragesh, who is also a former Rajya Sabha member, claimed.

The CPI-M accused Kunjikrishnan of making a concerted effort to defame Payyannur MLA and district secretariat member T.I. Madhusoodanan, by asserting his involvement in alleged financial misconduct, including land transactions, despite Madhusoodanan not holding any office in the relevant Payyannur cooperative organization.

According to Ragesh, the allegations were unfounded and stemmed from personal vendetta.

He referenced findings from an internal inquiry commission, which reportedly determined that there was a deliberate attempt to damage Madhusoodanan’s reputation — a conclusion Kunjikrishnan had acknowledged previously.

The party, Ragesh continued, possesses “clear evidence” of information leaks and claimed that Kunjikrishnan had essentially admitted to disseminating internal information.

“Is this behavior appropriate for someone who professes to uphold communist principles?” he queried.

Regarding the controversy over receipt books related to fund collection, Ragesh conceded that typographical errors were identified in six receipt books and acknowledged lapses in their proper destruction.

Some receipt books were also reported missing.

However, he emphasized that Madhusoodanan had not managed the funds collected through those receipts.

He asserted that the funds were raised to help families, construct houses, and handle legal matters, clarifying that the party had not incurred any financial detriment.

While admitting to a four-year delay in presenting income-expenditure statements, he asserted that disciplinary measures had already been enacted.

Details concerning fund expenditure, he stated, would not be disclosed.

Kunjikrishnan, aged 74, has had a longstanding association with the CPI-M, having joined the party at 24 and advancing through roles such as branch Secretary and Payyannur area Secretary before becoming a district committee member.

Previously, he had been stripped of organizational duties due to disciplinary actions tied to factionalism in Payyannur but later returned as a district committee invitee before regaining full membership at the latest party conference.

Upon learning of his expulsion, Kunjikrishnan remarked that he found nothing new in Ragesh's statements. “Some of the things I heard were laughable. He termed it a conspiracy, hence I approached Asianet. I could have spoken to Kairali (the CPI-M-affiliated TV channel), but they wouldn’t have aired it. I chose Asianet because when this issue first arose, Madhusoodanan filed a defamation notice. I would have conveyed the same to any channel, and the party would have reacted similarly. I stand by my revelations,” Kunjikrishnan stated.

Kunjikrishnan has insisted that he went public only after numerous internal requests failed to prompt action, viewing his expulsion as anticipated. He also dismissed the possibility of joining another political party.