File picture of veteran CPM leader VS Achuthanandan.
Pushing Kerala unit of the party further over the edge, Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) founding-leader V S Achuthanandan today rejected the central leadership's directive to attend the concluding session of party state conference from which he walked out over sharp differences with the state leadership.
Sticking to his stand, the 91-year-old leader, who has boycotted the three-day conference after walking out of it on the opening day on February 21, said a state secretariat resolution that termed him as an anti-party activist still exists and this prompted him to keep away from the meet.
His boycott had triggered speculation that he would take hard steps like demitting the post of the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.
Terming Achuthanandan's action as a serious lapse, the CPM politburo had directed him on Sunday to attend the concluding session of the meet today.
But the veteran Marxist chose not to comply with the directive.
"A party state secretariat resolution terming me as an anti-party activist still remains. In the present circumstances, I kept away from the meeting as I am convinced that it is not proper for me to participate in the meet," Achuthanandan said in a statement today.
"Due to the above reasons, I am not able to attend the concluding session of the meet today and I also have informed my position to party General Secretary," the leader said.
However, he welcomed the removal of certain critical remarks against him in the party's state conference working report and expressed hope that the remaining comments would also be dropped after the politburo examined them.
He also wanted the party to take action against some members, who were facing charges in the murder of rebel CPI-M leader T P Chandrasekheran.
Yesterday, a meeting of the "available" politburo members presided by General Secretary Prakash Karat, held that the boycott of the conference by Achuthanandan was a serious mistake and wanted him to return to the meet.
The latest crisis in the party was precipitated on the eve of the party's state conference, which began on February 20, after a dissenting note of Achuthanandan citing serious flaws in the conduct of the state unit meet under his arch foe Pinarayi Vijayan got published in a section of media.
The issue got flared up after the state secretariat came out with a virtual indictment of the senior leader for shooting off a letter to the central leadership castigating party affairs under Vijayan.
The conference holds significance for the CPI (M)'s Kerala unit, as a new state secretary would be named to Mr Vijayan, who is stepping down after three consecutive terms.