The Hindu : No differences with VS: Pinarayi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 01, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

No differences with VS: Pinarayi

By Our Special Correspondent

KOZHIKODE, MARCH 31. The CPI(M) State secretary, Pinaryai Vijayan, has ridiculed reports in a section of the media that differences had cropped up between him and V. S. Achuthanandan about the propriety of some party leaders attending a reception held in honour of business magnate, P. V. Abdul Wahab who has become a member of Rajya Sabha as a nominee of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).

Speaking at a press conference at Kalpetta in Wayanad today, Mr. Vijayan also dismissed these reports as part of a vilification campaign being orchestrated by a newspaper against the CPI(M).

There was no disagreement between us on this point, the CPI(M) State secretary said adding that he was also of the view that the affluent members of society should not get such privileges.

He also said that the Congress was following the IUML in such matters and cited as example the nomination of N. A. Mohammed as its candidate for the Kasaragod seat for the Lok Sabha poll.

``Mr. Mohammed does not have the political background to be made the candidate. Yet he has been given a ticket in Kasaragod and his son chosen as a candidate for a seat in Karnataka,'' Mr. Vijayan alleged.

The CPI(M) leader said that Mr. Abdul Wahab had enjoyed benefits reserved only for NRIs. The LDF committee would discuss the Abdul Wahab issue at its meeting scheduled to be held on April 2, it was stated at the press conference.

Speaking to The Hindu today, the CPI(M)'s district secretary for Kozhikode and a senior CPI(M) leader, V. V. Dakshinamoorthy, said his views on Mr. Abdul Wahab becoming a Rajya Sabha member were the same as those expressed by Mr. Achuthanandan. ``There is no disagreement on this score,'' Mr. Dakshinamoorthy, who had attended the reception for Mr. Wahab held in Kozhikode, said.

The Kozhikode Mayor, Thottathil Ravindran, also a CPI(M) member, declined to comment on the matter when mediamen drew his attention to this controversy.

``As Mayor I have to attend a number of functions every day,'' was all he would say. Mr. Thottathil Ravindran was also present at the reception in honour of Mr. Abdul Wahab.

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