Thiruvananthapuram: CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has come out in support of Zakir Hussain who was ousted as Kalamassery area secretary following allegations of abduction and kidnapping of an industrialist. In an article in party mouthpiece Deshabhimani, he said there was a propaganda from a section of media and political opponents that 14 criminal cases had been registered against Zakir and that his name figured in the goonda list.
There seems to be a deliberate move from certain quarters to paint him as a criminal. Most of the cases registered against him pertained to political agitations during the previous UDF regime, he said. Kodiyeri said unlike the UDF which tried to hush up allegations against their supporters, the CPM government registered case against Zakir Hussain. While the police was given a free hand on the one hand, the party initiated its own process of probing such allegations. CPM central committee member Elamaram Kareem had been asked to look into the allegations. Kodiyeri said it was important to look into the circumstances that led to the person filing the complaint about one and a half years after the incident.
He said in another incident the Chief Minister had directed the police to take stringent action against some people who had used his name for committing a fraud. People misusing the name of party leaders or those in government position will be dealt with strictly, he added. Kodiyeri said in the present globalised world party workers getting trapped in deviations cannot be ruled out. However, the party would always try to bring back those who realise their mistake. But those continuing to indulge in corrupt practices would have no place in the party, he said.
