Thiruvananthapuram: Power minister M.M Mani’s crude reference to the Munnar eviction operations and the Pompilai Orumai agitation has the CPM squirming and the women’s organisations coming out strongly, questioning his very continuance in the office. CPM’s women leaders including T.N. Seema and P.K. Sreemathy, MP, also condemned the comments made by Mr Mani. Only 50 seconds of the speech he made at Irupath Acre has come out till now, in which he apparently making references to the events in Munnar and the role of the media. “They are with him there... with the sub-collector in the evenings.
Sometime back, the drinking was with Suresh Kumar (who headed the Munnar eviction operation 10 years ago). Brandy flowed in cases. Cat... our old cat. Where? At the guest house. There was binge drinking and all sorts of other activities. Pompilai Orumai agitation took place. Then, too, drinking and all kinds of nasty things had taken place there. Didn't you get the point? All these things happened in the forest nearby. A DySP was also there. What was the name? Was it Saji? Everyone was involved. We are aware of all this. I said it yesterday here that they were living with the channel people. I hear many other things, but I am saying anything more,’’ Mr Mani said. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the reported statement was improper. “I would respond to more questions after I had a discussion about this with the minister,” he said.
CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that it was wrong if Mr Mani has made any derogatory statements against women. “I have not heard the speech he made in full,” Mr Balakrishnan said. “However, if what is being reported in the media was correct, then it was absolutely wrong for him to have made such a statement. The party would examine the circumstance in which he made such a statement. Mr Mani is a part of the party secretariat and he will get a chance to explain himself there. Everyone, especially ministers, should be careful in their speeches and ensure that they make no provocative statements as the general public will never accept such outbursts.
