Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has warned party leaders against having connections with criminal gangs. His warning came during the general discussions at the Ernakulam district conference. The Chief Minister, who is also politburo member of the CPM, warned the leadership against inducting people with criminal background or having links with criminals into the organisation.
Pinarayi said stringent action would be taken against workers and leaders who violate these principles. The Chief Minister’s warning comes in the backdrop of reports that at many places, party members and leaders had set up links with real estate developers, contractors, liquor barons and antisocial elements.
At many places they are helping such elements to carry out their nefarious activities. This trend was witnessed not only in Kerala but also other states as was observed at the plenum on organisational issues held at Kolkata in December 2015.
It was in this background that the plenum had announced zero tolerance policy against such trends. The warning issued by Chief Minister also indicates that the party has not been able to strictly enforce these recommendations. Sources said the illicit links of party workers and leaders rarely come out in the public domain because people fear speaking about them. One of the major reasons for the negative trends in the party is also the changing life style of workers and leaders.
Some of the common complaints received against party workers include lavish lifestyle, spending beyond their known sources of income for building houses, extravaganza in weddings of children and organising festivities on a lavish scale. Since all these involve huge spending, there is a tendency to acquire income through unlawful means. Even during the plenum held in Palakkad in December 2013, the party had discussed a 150-page document which was prepared based on a questionnaire covering 31 important areas.
The plenum adopted the rectification document which urged the party workers to shed arrogance, eschew all un-communist virtues, bureaucratism, links with real estate promoters, extravagant lifestyle and malpractices alien to norms of being a Communist. The plenum had also called for making rectification process an annual affair. However, most of the plenum recommendations are yet to be implemented in its true letter and spirit.
