Thiruvananthapuram: The rift between the two communist parties, CPI(M) and CPI came out in the open today when Ministers belonging to the two parties exchanged words and argued with one another during a Cabinet meeting held today.
The Ministers clashed while speaking about a MLA belonging to CPI was brutally thrashed by the police while leading a march towards the office of the Kochi Range IG. MLA of Muvattupuzha, Eldo Abraham, sustained injuries and broke his hand in when the police lathi charged the march by the CPI activists.
The CPI Ernakulam district secretary and many other activists also received injuries during the lathi charge.
They took out the march to demand the arrest of a CI of police, M. K. Murali, who took supported SFI leaders in a scuffle between SFI and AISF at Government College at Vypeen. Interestingly, both are student organizations of the CPI(M) and CPI respectively.
In the Cabinet meeting the Ministers belonging to the CPI raised this issue with the CPI(M) Ministers and the Chief Minister. Revenue Minister, E. Chandrashekar condemned the incident severely. He said that it was not the Armed Police or the CRPF that was behind the brutal crackdown on CPI activists. He claimed that it was the local police, who knew that Eldo Abraham was the MLA.
The CPI leaders demanded that the police officers behind the attack must be given exemplary punishment.
However, a CPI(M) Minister, A. K. Balan, retorted that those who protest against the government will have to face such brutalities. This infuriated the CPI Ministers and angry exchange of words ensued.
The CPI Minister for Agriculture Sunil Kumar replied that CPI would continue to protest against the government for what is right and is ready to face torture and beatings.
The argument came to an end after Chief Minister intervened in the issue and promised to take action against those police officers who were involved in the lathi charge. He said that a report from the Collector is being awaited.
The CPI(M), which is the biggest partner in the LDF alliance has always taken a big brother attitude towards its junior partner CPI. Both the parties have clashed with each other many times over policy issues in the past.
