P K Sasi suspended for six months

Thiruvananthapuram: The CPM state committee has finally suspended Shoranur MLA P. K. Sasi from the primary membership of the party for six months for  seeking sexual favours from a woman DYFI leader over phone.

The decision was taken on the basis of the findings of the two-member party inquiry commission comprising central committee members P.K. Sreemathy and A.K. Balan. The commission found the MLA guilty of speaking to the woman leader in a manner which was unbecoming of a senior leader. The audio clip of the telephonic conversation formed the major evidence in the report. However, there was no reference to sexual harassment in the report.

The commission found that the charges against Sasi did not amount to sexual harassment. This was also evident from the brief statement issued by the party after the state committee meeting. It said, "the state committee suspended Sasi from the primary membership for six months as he was found to have spoken to the woman member in a manner which did not behove a party leader. The decision has been sent to the central committee for ratification," it said.

Suspension from the party membership for six months is the second biggest disciplinary action as per the CPM constitution. Earlier, there were reports that he might get away with a minor punishment such as demotion to the area committee. However, the party took a strong decision  factoring in future legal action if any. Coming as it does on the eve of the Assembly session, the Opposition is likely to question his presence, especially in the wake of his suspension. Party sources, however, said the suspension will not make any difference to his status.

Meanwhile, the woman complainant has expressed satisfaction over the action taken against the MLA. She told a section of media that she had not taken any decision to take this complaint forward or seek any legal recourse. Sasi said as a disciplined worker, he accepted the action initiated against him by the state committee. Sources said party general secretary Sitaram Yechury had asked the state leadership to initiate appropriate action. Veteran leader V.S. Achuthanandan had also shot off a letter to Mr Yechury on Sunday demanding action against Sasi.

There were differences within the party over the whole issue. A section of party leaders said that the complaint was the outcome of factionalism. Even Mr Balan had referred to this aspect. However, the factionalism angle was not included in the final report which was prepared unanimously. Earlier, the commission had heard the version of Sasi who admitted that he had spoken to the woman leader over telephone. But he denied the allegations of misbehaviour.

The DYFI district leader had filed the complaint against Sasi with the state secretariat on August 14. She had accused the MLA of making sexist remarks and demanding sexual favours during the DYFI conference.

Various lower committees had allegedly discouraged her from going ahead with the charges, following which she approached the state secretariat.

But even the secretariat sat over the complaint for two weeks after she mailed a copy to party general secretary Sitaram Yechury. The very next day, the party constituted the inquiry commission comprising Mr Balan and Ms Sreemathy to look into the allegations.

The commission had recorded the statements a couple of weeks ago amid allegations that a section of leaders had tried to derail the probe. As many as eight CPM and DYFI leaders had deposed before the commission,  including Mr C.K. Rajendran and Mr M.B. Rajesh. Though pressure was mounted from various quarters on the DYFI leader to withdraw or water down the complaint, she stood by her allegations.