Jayarajan custodian of CPI(M)'s palace of corruption: Kerala Congress chief

Kannur, Kerala: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief K Sudhakaran on Tuesday said that he was certain there wouldn't be any action against CPI(M) veteran and LDF Convenor E P Jayarajan over his controversial meeting with BJP leader Prakash Javadekar, remarking that the Left leader was the custodian of the ruling party's "palace of corruption."

His statement comes a day after the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala defended Jayarajan and said there was nothing wrong with his meeting with Javadekar, who is also the BJP's Kerala in-charge.

The party had said it was quite common for political leaders to meet their counterparts from other parties. While talking to reporters here, Sudhakaran took a potshot at the CPI(M) saying that after its state secretariat meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, Jayarajan walked out like a cricket player who hit a century.

Sudhakaran alleged that the party decided not to take any action against Jayarajan to save Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan from facing difficulties or getting into trouble.

"I was certain that there wouldn't be any action against E P Jayarajan as he was the custodian of their (CPI-M) palace of corruption. If he was touched, the entire palace would be burnt. I have said in the beginning itself that the CPI (M) leadership won't take any action that would hurt or annoy Jayarajan," he said.

If any action was taken against Jayarajan, it would cause troubles for leaders, including Vijayan, he said. The CPI (M) made it clear on Monday that directions have been given to Jayarajan to end his relationship with persons like T G Nandakumar, who allegedly played the role of a middleman by facilitating his alleged meeting with Javadekar.

While addressing a press conference at the AKG Centre here, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said some "yellow journalism" is suggesting that the labourer's party will fall for right-wing politics with just a meeting with a BJP leader, but asserted that the Left parties have a different history in Kerala. The CPI (M) has not reacted to Sudhakaran's allegations.