Thiruvananthapuram, May 27 (IANS) The CPI-M Sunday pulled up a Kerala state leader for claiming that his party had physically annihilated foes.
Communist Party of India-Marxist state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said the reported speech by Idukki district secretary M.M. Moni was not right.
"His speech was against the party's prescribed policy and it was wrong," Vijayan said.
"The party has in the past made it clear that all comrades should be watchful and careful while making statements because our opponents are waiting to strike at us. Henceforth (no one should) make statements against the party line."
Moni sent shock waves Friday night when he told a public rally that the CPI-M has in the past resorted to killing political foes and listed out four such murders.
These murders reportedly took place in Idukki district in the 1980s.
Taken aback by the outrage, Moni clarified that he was only speaking about political skirmishes in Kerala.
"I related this to the killing of (former CPI-M leader T.P.) Chandrasekharan," he said. "It must be noted that I was not a leader of my party when the killings I mentioned took place."
Several CPI-M members have been arrested for Chandrasekharan's murder.
Kerala Home Minister T. Radhakrishnan Sunday said that Moni's comments were "a very serious issue".
"The tape of his speech has been examined. The first response from legal experts is that there is a conspiracy angle to what he has said. We will proceed in the way it should be done," he said.
Idukki Lok Sabha member and Congress leader P.T. Thomas said the CPI-M should be classified as a terrorist party.
"Incidentally all the four murders that Moni referred to took place when the party state secretary was V.S. Achuthanandan. We wish to know from him if he was aware of this," asked Thomas.
