CPM has lost its face, says Janasakthi

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM general secretary Prakash Karat was forced to set up the single-member Sukumol Sen commission to probe Finance Minister Thomas Isaac’s foreign connections, because of the late politburo member E Balanandan’s stand on Lavalin deal.

This was stated in a statement issued here on Saturday by the Janasakthi Weekly which had published Balanandan’s letter in its latest issue. The statement has been signed by the weekly’s managing editor N Sugathan and editor G Sakthidharan.“Those close to Balanandan know that after shifting base from Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram, he had held discussions with Prakash Karat twice on the issue,” the release said.

“Though Karat fully endorsed Balanandan’s stand on the issue, he feared that a severe crisis would be precipitated if the issue was taken up for consideration at that moment. Balanandan, more or less, agreed with Karat’s view and gave him three months’ time.” Balanandan met the general secretary the second time after he felt that Karat was further postponing a discussion on his letter, the release said.

As a compromise, Karat promised that an investigation will be immediately launched into Thomas Isaac’s capitalist links. The single-member Sukumol Sen Commission was the result of this, the release said.

“Though the CPM central committee’s explanation that Balanandan’s letter was fabricated is an attempt to save the face of Pinarayi Vijayan, it was the CPM that has lost its face in the bargain,” the release said.

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