The stand-off between two veterans, both hailing from Kannur and both having the same surname continued at the state committee meeting of the CPI(M) held in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, February 10, following which a committee was formed to probe the allegations levelled against both the sides. LDF convenor EP Jayarajan was not happy with the stand taken by the party in the resort controversy. In the party state committee meeting, he turned emotional while giving an explanation to P Jayarajan's allegations, according to media reports. He reportedly said that he would quit from politics if propaganda against him continues.
E P Jayarajan on Friday accused his party colleague P Jayarajan of character assassination after the latter levelled corruption charges against him, according to a report in the New Indian Express. EP stated that accusations levelled by “a member” were aimed at destroying his public life of 40 years. Expressing his willingness to end his political life, EP demanded a probe into the reasons behind the allegations. P Jayarajan, who was present at the meeting, reportedly did not respond.
The trouble began in December last year when at a state committee meeting, P Jayarajan, who is the chairperson of the state-run Khadi Board, alleged that E P Jayarajan, the present Left Democratic Front convenor and former state Industries Minister, and his family had "amassed huge wealth".
Two days later, the close aides of E P Jayarajan accused P Jayarajan of having links with a gold smuggling gang, accusing him of failing to submit proper account statements of election expenses when the latter was the CPI(M) candidate during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from the Vadakara constituency.
And when this became public, it was a free for all, especially as more information came out which pointed out that E P Jayarajan's son and wife are company directors, who own a Rs 30 crore Ayurveda resort in Kannur that was opened in 2019, something which P Jayarajan had hinted at.
With the media having a field day, the party went into a huddle and decided to see that there is no more washing dirty linen in public and things went quiet in the party while the politburo also played it down and feigned ignorance about the matter.
But on Friday, according to those in the know of things, this issue resurfaced when E P Jayarajan said that there has been a conspiracy to tarnish him. Soon P Jayarajan also joined the issue and spoke about how he was being hounded.
At the end the state committee meeting, it was decided that a committee will be formed to look into the allegations levelled by both the sides. The committee members are expected to be announced soon.
At the peak of the allegations that surfaced against E P Jayarajan, BJP leaders had demanded a probe by a central agency, while the Congress had sought a judicial probe.
With IANS inputs
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