VS Achutanandan breaks silence, denies he demanded prominent position in party

Now after almost five days, the veteran leader has posted a long, scathing criticism of the media on Facebook for raking up a non-issue
VS Achutanandan breaks silence, denies he demanded prominent position in party
VS Achutanandan breaks silence, denies he demanded prominent position in party
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Communist veteran VS Achuthanandan finally broke his silence on Wednesday over the mystery note that found its way to him during the swearing-in ceremony of the Pinarayi Vijayan Cabinet in Kerala.

It was then widely reported that VS had demanded certain positions in the party and the paper chit was a note which was meant to be passed on to the CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury with whom he had shared the dais. VS however chose not to react to such allegations.

Now after almost five days, the veteran leader has posted a long, scathing criticism of the media on Facebook for raking up a non-issue.

The said post begins with VS informing one and all that he is shifting to a rented house from the Cantonment house (the residence of the Leader of the Opposition in Kerala). He does not forget to take a barb at media reports that say he delayed the house-shift, as he expects some kind of a prominent position in the cabinet.

Without naming the newspaper, he attacks a particular media house for spreading ‘false’ news against him. “Media researchers can study how Kerala’s largest selling newspaper is attempting to establish that I demanded positions by handing over a piece of paper to Yechury,” he writes.

VS goes on to say that he had met Yechury many times in person before and even after the swearing-in ceremony. This in itself would have presented him many opportunities to place his demands before Yechury, if any. He also reminds his readers that he still retains the freedom to talk directly to any party leader and does not have to resort to passing on bits of paper to anyone.

Dismissing reports that the note was written by his son as it was purportedly written in English, the leader wittily notes, “Though I don’t claim to have much of a formal education, I do still retain my ability to read and write in Malayalam and English.”

He alleges that this particular newspaper had even earlier come up with many similar false reports with the sole intention of insulting him. “Meanwhile, certain ‘activities’ of Oommen Chandy never get reported by this newspaper which has become a synonym of bad journalism,” he fumes.

He is also quick to remind us that the chief of this newspaper had once earlier threatened to commit suicide if LDF comes to power.

“I can proudly say that in my entire seven and a half decades of political activism, I have never sought any position. Whenever the party bestowed me with power and position, I accepted the same with pride. But I never got into politics expecting or wishing for such positions. I will hence continue to be with the people, as one among them,” is how he signs off.

The whole row began when a photograph taken by Manoj Chemancheri of Malayala Manorama shows VS Achuthanandan holding a piece of paper during the Left government’s swearing-in ceremony that was held on May 25.

On zooming in on the note, certain notable positions within the CPI(M) party were found scribbled: ‘Advisor to government with cabinet rank and chairman of the LDF; inclusion in the state secretariat.’

The media had a heyday reporting on the same with implications that these were the posts VS was hankering after in lieu of the chief minister’s post that he lost to Pinarayi.

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