VS Urge Party Central Leadership for Removal of M M Mani

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
CPM leader V S Achuthanandan urged the party Central leadership to remove Electricity Minister M M Mani from the state Cabinet on moral grounds.
In a strongly worded letter to CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, VS said Mani has lost the moral right to continue in office after the Thodupuzha court dismissed his discharge petition in the Ancherry Baby murder case. Achuthanandan, chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission, said Mani should step down and face trial in the case.
In his letter VS said the party has a declared stance that accused in criminal cases should not continue in elected positions and therefore the state secretariat member should step down. The attempt by the veteran is to fix the focus on Mani issue prior to the four-day leadership meets – Politburo on January 5 and the Central Committee for the next three days.
The issue may be discussed along with a couple of other issues, including nepotism charges against CC members E P Jayarajan and P K Sreemathy. Curiously, the PB commission report that recommended no major action against VS will also come up in the January meeting.
CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan rejected the same stating Mani has no disqualification to continue in office. Kodiyeri however pleaded ignorance about Achuthanandan’s letter to party Central leadership demanding Mani’s resignation.

Answering queries, Kodiyeri said the current scenario cannot be compared or linked with the situation that led to Central committee member E P Jayarajan’s resignation. EP had resigned in the wake of a posting row after assuming office. But in the case of Mani, the case against him was there even when he was contesting the election.