Kozhikode: CPM leader M.V. Jayarajan, who unleashed a scathing criticism against Chief Minister Oommen Chandy calling him the worst-ever chief minister in the history of the state, has expressed regrets for his remarks.
“I never intended to malign him personally,” Mr Jayarajan said. I don’t want to hit any person individually but only wanted to expose his inefficiency as chief minister,” he added.
Mr Jayarajan made the controversial remark while addressing a meeting to commemorate CPM leader M.V. Balakrishnan held at Uduma in Kasargod.
“Former Congress chief minister Karunakaran known as karinkali (betrayer) was a gentleman compared to Chandy,” he said. “Chandy is a paranari (a stinker) CM,” he said and added that he was ready to be imprisoned for making such a remark.
His comments had invited widespread criticism from various quarters. UDF workers organised protest marches at various parts of Kasargod against the indecent words used by him.
It may be recalled that CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan had termed UDF candidate N.K. Premachandran at Kollam as paranari (stinker) during the election campaign which had triggered a controversy.
Meanwhile, KPCC president V. M. Sudheeran has asked CPM state committee member M. V. Jayarajan to apologise to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy for saying that Kerala has not seen such a “wretched Chief Minister.”
He also urged the CPM to take action against Mr Jayarajan, though he withdrew his remark when it snowballed into a controversy. Mr Jayarajan made the comment while speaking at a function at Uduma Mangad in Kasargod. “Kerala has seen several chief ministers but not such a “wretched” one,” he said.
Mr Sudheeran, in a statement here, said that anyone with a sense of decency would not use such a derogatory comment and asked him to apologise to the CM and the people of Kerala at the earliest. Such a remark would only denigrate the image of the CPM, he said.
Opposition Leader V. S. Achuthanandan said he would comment on Mr Jayarajan’s remark after going through the details of the speech.
