The police action against a journalist of a Malayalam news channel on the complaint by a Students’ Federation of India (SFI) leader kept the political pot boiling in Kerala with the Opposition Congress flaying the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) in the State over the issue and the Left party claiming it was not against press freedom.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Wednesday came down heavily on CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan for his recent remarks regarding the conspiracy and defamation case against the scribe.
The journalist was booked in the case in connection with an alleged fake exam result of the State secretary of SFI, the student wing of CPI(M).
Adopting a hard stand on the matter, Mr. Govindan had said that any anti-government or anti-SFI campaign in the name of reporting would invite action.
His statement targeting the media was slammed by Opposition parties, cultural icons, and the media fraternity in the southern State, following which he made a U-turn and claimed that his remarks were misinterpreted and he did not say the press would face legal action for reporting against the Left government in Kerala.
However, Mr. Chennithala contended that remarks being made by Mr. Govindan were unbecoming of a State secretary of CPI(M) and that no Left leaders who held that position in the past have acted in this fashion.
"Who does he think he is? Is he running the Home Department? Is he running the government? Is the government being run from the AKG Centre?" "He is justifying the cases lodged against journalists and Opposition leaders," Mr. Chennithala said.
Recently, KPCC president and MP K. Sudhakaran was asked to appear before the Crime Branch for questioning in a cheating case involving controversial antique dealer Monson Mavunkal, while his party colleague and Leader of Opposition in the State assembly V.D. Satheesan is facing a vigilance probe.
The vigilance case is related to receipt of foreign funds from abroad, for a project in Satheesan's constituency, which allegedly violated the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).
Meanwhile, senior CPI(M) leaders Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury said the party's State secretary in Kerala has already clarified its stand on media freedom and the case against the journalist.
Mr. Karat, speaking to reporters in Palakkad, said the CPI(M) policy was not to target reporters doing their job, even if they are criticising the party or its government in the southern State.
"I think that has been made clear. In the instant matter the complaint is by a SFI leader and not the State government. So I do not think our party or the government here has taken a stand per se against journalists. There may be other cases involving journalists for some other matter, but not for targeting the government here or the party," he claimed.
Mr. Yechury, who is the CPI(M) general secretary, said he has nothing more to add after the clarification given a day ago by the State secretary.
"A clarification has been given by the State secretary. There is nothing more that I can add to that," he said.
Congress leaders in Kerala had taken a dig at Mr. Yechury a day ago by asking whether his remarks against the BJP-ruled Centre regarding media manipulation was applicable to his party comrade and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The CPI, an ally of the CPI(M) in Kerala, took a slightly different stand on the issue. CPI general secretary D. Raja said that as far as his party is concerned it always supported press freedom.
"As far as this specific issue [case against the Malayalam journalist] is concerned, our party leadership in Kerala will analyse the whole issue and react accordingly," he told reporters in Delhi.
A case was registered by police under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code such as Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 465 (forgery) and 500 (defamation) among others on June 9 against five persons, including the journalist, on a complaint by SFI State secretary P.M. Arsho.
A controversy erupted on June 6 after KSU had raised an allegation showing a marklist in which Mr. Arsho, who is also a student of Maharaja's College in Ernakulam, had "passed" even though he did not attend any exam.
Later, the college clarified that his name was seen among another batch's result and clarified it as a technical error.
Mr. Arsho had alleged that there was a conspiracy behind the incident.
