Anti-CPM slogans were raised outside the CPM headquarters where Siutaram Yechury addresed the media.
Senior CPM leader Sitaram Yechury was greeted by anti-CPM slogans today as he was on his way to address the media in Delhi. Sources said as Mr Yechury was on his way in to the party headquarters, two men started shouting slogans. Soon they were overpowered by CPM members.
Mr Yechury seemed a bit startled at the turn of events. Commotion followed as TV crews, mainly from Kerala, rushed in to take shots. One of the persons, yet to be identified, was thrashed by CPM members before being handed over to Delhi Police.
Soon after, Mr Yechury tweeted:
There had been heavy security arrangements in the area in anticipation of protests as Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was attending the meet as well.
The Left and the members of the RSS and BJP are at loggerheads in Kerala, which has seen spiraling violence since the LDF government of Mr Vijayan came to power last year. BJP chief Amit Shah recently alleged that the Left is trying to "suppress" the party's growth in the state through violence.
Mr Yechury is attending the meeting of the politburo -- the CPM's highest decision-making body -- which was expected to discuss the possibility of his re-election to the Rajya Sabha. Mr Yechury is a two-time member of the Rajya Sabha and his tenure will end in August.
The party has a convention of not sending a member to the upper house for more than two terms.
The pitch to re-nominate Mr Yechury has been made by the Bengal unit of the CPM, but the Kerala members are opposed to it. Mr Yechury had said he would follow the norm.