Thiruvananthapuram: Veteran Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM) leader V.S. Achuthanandan publicly apologised for defying the party leadership on several occasions.
The senior CPM leader, who is also leader of the Opposition made the public apology for three of his acts in defiance to party guidelines, namely: supporting those agitating against the Kudankulam nuclear power plant, an adverse remark against party state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, and visiting the home of slain Revolutionary Marxist Party leader T.P. Chandrasekharan when the CPM was facing a by-election in Neyyattinkara.
Achuthanandan said: “it was a mistake” to visit the Kudankulam plant, as well as to make the remark against Vijayan. He had compared Vijayan’s style to that of S.A. Dange, who was known for his hard-line style within the party. Dange had presided over the split of the party in 1964.
Achuthanandan made the apologies at a press conference here Thursday where he admitted his mistakes after “critically evaluating” his actions.
The senior CPM leader made the public apology on the directive of the party’s central committee.
Earlier, he apologised to the party’s central and state committees.
Vijayan hinted on Wednesday on Achuthanandan’s public apology when he told reporters “you will not be disappointed”.
Achuthanandan cleverly used word play to justify his acts as he made his apologies. On each of the three points, clear hints of such justification were evident. When he said it was a mistake to lead a march to Kudankulam, he did not forget to add that he would continue to be “alert” about the Kudankulam plant and the nuclear issue, and also mentioned that the party’s stand was that the plant should be commissioned only after ensuring sufficient safety measures.
While apologising about likening Pinarayi Vijayan to Dange, Achuthanandan pointed out that his comment had come in the backdrop of Vijayan repeatedly referring to the slain RMP leader T.P. Chandrasekharan as a ‘turncoat’. Regarding his apology pertaining to his visit to T.P. Chandrasekharan’s house on the day of the Neyyattinkara by-election,
Achuthanandan said it was a coincidence that he was in Kozhikode that day, and that it was not a pre-planned visit.
