V A Zakir Hussain loses secretary post; Party set for detailed probe

Kochi: The CPM Ernakulam district secretariat meeting has decided to expel its tainted leader V.A. Zakir Hussain from the post of Kalamassery area secretary. The meeting chaired by CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on Friday took the decision, said party district secretary P. Rajeev. CPM district secretariat member T.K. Mohanan will replace Zakir Hussain. Mr Rajeev told reporters that in view of the case registered against Zakir Hussain,  the party decided not to interfere in business disputes  or complaints on financial matters.

The  state secretariat will conduct a detailed probe into the case and take strict action against Zakir if he is found guilty, Mr Rajeev said. It is the state secretariat that should take the decision  whether to appoint an inquiry commission. “The district secretariat meeting has formally urged the state secretariat to conduct a party-level probe while the police inquiry into the criminal case registered against Zakir will go ahead.  The party will not interfere in the government’s inquiry and it is up to the government whether to remove him from the post of district sports council president,” he added.

While strongly criticising the media, he alleged that a section of media was engaged in propagating false and baseless campaign to weaken the party when the CPM was getting wider acceptance among various sections of people  in the district.  Mr Rajeev  refuted the allegations of an unholy nexus between party district leadership and goonda quotation gangs. “The party secretary or other district leaders are not linked  to any such groups and never did call any police officers to settle their cases,” he asserted. He added that it was because of the strong stand taken by the LDF government that the people are fearlessly approaching the police.