CITU secretariat to decide Cherian issue

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, NOV. 24. The CITU national secretariat would decide on the report of the one-man commission of inquiry into the allegation that the CITU national secretary, Mr. V.B. Cherian, had tried to float a parallel union at the Travancore Rayons Limited, Perumbavoor. The State CITU had, heeding the diktat of the State CPI(M) leadership, decided to ease him out as State CITU vice-president a few weeks ago, on the basis of the allegation.

The CITU national general secretary, Dr. M.K. Pandhe, told The Hindu over phone from New Delhi that he had received the report of Mr. T.K. Rangarajan, the Tamil Nadu CITU general secretary, who had inquired into the allegation this evening. Dr. Pandhe refused to go into the findings of the commission and said a decision on the report would be taken by the CITU national secretariat which is scheduled to meet shortly before the CITU national conference to be held at Hyderabad next month.

Meanwhile, CITU sources in Kerala disputed reports that the commission had endorsed the CPI(M) State committee decision to remove Mr. Cherian as vice-president of the State CITU. They pointed out that the commission was constituted to inquire into the allegation relating to the Travancore Rayons Limited and not about his removal as State CITU vice-president. They alleged that a serious bid was on to use the Cherian issue to whip up passions on the eve of the CITU State conference beginning at Alappuzha on November 28.

The CITU State conference has assumed more than ordinary significance on account of the moves to ease out the CITU general secretary, Mr. K. N. Ravindranath, who had been remaining marginalised in the CPI(M) for over four years now.

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