Kannur, February 4: V. Kunjikrishnan, a senior leader expelled from the CPI-M, intensified his criticism of the party leadership by launching his book on Wednesday. The event took place in Payyanur, a city regarded as a stronghold of leftist ideology, where he accused the Kerala unit of financial irregularities in the martyr fund.
Following a security order from the Kerala High Court last week, the book launch attracted a large crowd, all under heavy police protection. Kunjikrishnan was expelled from the CPI-M’s primary membership after he publicly reiterated allegations of financial misconduct related to the martyr fund, sparking significant controversy within the party’s Kannur district unit. The leadership deemed his public statements as acts of indiscipline.
In releasing his book titled ‘Nethruthathe Anikal Thiruthanam (Cadres Should Reform Leadership),’ Kunjikrishnan emphasized that his intentions were not to weaken the party but to improve it. He stated that the CPI-M’s existence relies on its foundational principles of criticism and self-criticism, arguing that dissent is now viewed as hostility.
He alleged that accountability has diminished to the point where even the martyr fund is being misused, claiming that the leadership is shielding those responsible. Cautioning party cadres about the decline of the party in West Bengal, where it once ruled for over three decades, Kunjikrishnan urged grassroots members to “stand up and reform the leadership” before a similar political decline occurs in Kerala.
He also mentioned facing continuous attacks and insults on social media since raising these issues. Joseph C. Mathew, the chief guest at the event, described the book as “a statement of facts” and called on party workers and the public to support the truth.
Mathew criticized the silencing of Kunjikrishnan as unjust and motivated by fear, drawing parallels to former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, to whom the book is dedicated. He recalled Achuthanandan’s removal from the Polit Bureau and noted that leaders who question wrongdoing have historically been marginalized within the party.
Referencing the symbolic importance of Payyanur, Mathew stated that the city bears the responsibility of demanding clear answers regarding the issues raised. Despite the tense atmosphere, the significant police presence ensured that the event concluded without any unpleasant incidents, as the controversy continued to unfold within the CPI-M’s Kannur stronghold.