Mani tenders apology for his controversial speech

CPM Idukki district secretary M.M. Mani has apologized for the controversial statement that there had been instances of the party eliminating its foes.

The controversial statement was made by CPI(M)’s Idukki district secretary M M Mani at a public meeting at Thodupuzha in Idukki district last night.

Mani’s speech came at a time when the party is on the defensive with the arrest of some of its activists in Kozhikode and Kannur districts in connection with the murder of Marxist rebel and RMP leader T P Chandrasekharan.

Ironically, Mani made the statement at a meeting called to explain to the public that CPI(M) had no role in the Chandrasekharan murder case.

In his sarcasm-laced speech, Mani reminded his audience of how some of the rivals of the party in Idukki district had been eliminated in the past.

MM Mani’s controversial speech: Police collects recording

Police on Sunday started preliminary investigation into the controversial speech delivered by CPM Idukki district secretary M.M Mani.

The follow up action will be decided after a thorough evaluation of the speech. Meanwhile, Mani himself has expressed regret over the speech.

Mani, a senior functionary of the party had said there had been instances of the party eliminating its foes. Mani’s speech came at a time when the party is on the defensive with the arrest of some of its activists in Kozhikode and Kannur districts in connection with the murder of Marxist rebel and RMP leader TP Chandrasekharan.

Mani's statement deviates from party's stand: Pinarayi

CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said here on Sunday that the statement made by CPM Idukki district secretary M M Mani in Thodupuzha was not right. At the press meet held at the AKG centre, Pinarayi said Mani's statement deviates from the party's stand. He also wanted party leaders to stop making open statements. 

Pinarayi said that Mani himself had later clarified about his controversial statement. At this juncture when enemies are trying to pin down the party, any statements made by leaders will be used only against the party. And that will create unnecessary controversies. Hence party leaders must avoid making open statements. Partymen are requested to be alert and prevent enemies from attacking us, Pinarayi said. 

No party will be allowed to be massacred by enemies, he said. But Pinarayi refused to entertain any questions or address clarifications at the press meet.

CPI-M in Kerala today virtually censured its Idukki district secretary MM Mani for his controversial speech in which he stated that there had been instances of the party eliminating political rivals.

As the party is faced with deep embarrassment over Mani’s utterances at a public meeting, CPI-M state Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan today said Mani had committed a “mistake” and his speech was a “deviation” from the party’s political line.

Reuters

Mani’s speech had sparked a raging political row in Kerala with the Congress and BJP saying it exposed CPI-M’s “politics of violence”.

His statement had come at a most difficult time for CPI-M in the state as it was on the defensive with some of its activists arrested in connection with the murder of party rebel and RMP leader T P Chandrasekharan.

Addressing reporters here, Vijayan made a strong call to party cadres, leaders and functionaries to refrain from making controversial statements at a time when the party was under a grim attack from its enemies.

Vijayan said the party had grown over the years resisting attacks from various quarters, but countering violence with violence was not the policy of CPI-M.

Shocker: We have plotted and killed people, admits CPM leader

The outspoken claim of a CPM leader in Kerala that the party has indeed plotted and killed its opponents landed the Marxists in an absolute mess.

In his brazen display of medieval thuggery, the local leader seemed to have taken a cue from the party’s state leadership which has unleashed an offensive against the tide of public outrage for its suspected involvement in the murder of a popular CPM-dissident TP Chandrasekharan three weeks ago.

The star of the foolish street-corner spectacle that plunged the CPM into a fresh crisis is MM Mani, secretary of the party in Idukki, an eastern district adjoining Ernakulam and Kottyam. Ironically, the meeting where he blurted out was convened to tell the party workers that the CPM was not involved in the murder of Chandrasekharan.

Unfortunately for him and the CPM, the shocking footage of his speech found its way to the state’s TV channels.

His speech was surprisingly vivid in details of the murders that he said the party had planned and executed. He said, the party had made a list of 13 people and killed four of them – all Congress functionaries. “One, two, three, four…” he said narrating the sequence of murders.

AFP

“The first one was shot dead, the second was beaten to death and the third was stabbed to death,” he said with absolute derision, citing their names and other details.

The murders he narrated were in fact among the most sensational in the district – three of them in the early 1980s and the fourth in 2004. In the first three, nobody had been convicted for lack of evidence. Mani’s admission to the party’s involvement has provided fresh evidence for the police to reopen the cases.

The chief minister and the home minister said his speech would be examined and action would be taken. The DGP has also asked the district police chief to take action including re-examination of the case-diary. The families of the victims said they would go to court asking for new investigation.