CPI expels partymen for questioning senior leader on sale of party property

CHENNAI: A day after Trichy police launched a probe into a complaint by CPI’s Cuddalore district secretary M Sekar against former state secretary D Pandian, the state unit expelled Sekar and A Venugopal of Perambalur from the primary membership of the party. The police is yet to file a case against the leader based on the compliant.
In his complaint to the Trichy commissioner of police, Sanjay Mathur, Sekar accused Pandian of selling a 5,000 sq ft property of South Madras Electricity Workers Union to J Rafeek Ahamed of Chennai in March 2012.The union was formed by workers of a private firm supplying electricity in the state. The allegation is that Pandian had no legal authority to sell the land purchased by the members of the union five decades ago, and that the union has been defunct since 1974.
Much to the embarrassment of the senior leader, the duo moved the Madras HC last week, seeking a direction to declare null and void the election of R Mutharasan, a close confidante of Pandian, as the CPI state secretary.
Downplaying the criticism, CPI state secretary R Mutharasan said the elections for the party organization were held in a democratic manner. “Sekar and Venugopal are expelled from the primary membership of the party for indulging in anti-party activities, including filing cases against the party, filing complaint with the police, defaming the party high-command in public,” he said, justifying the sacking of the partymen.
The land in question was sold at a cost of Rs 20 lakh, while the prevailing market rate then was Rs 3 crore. Sekar alleged that Pandian sold the property without consulting the Trichy district committee. “When the union remained defunct, how could he have sold the property? Pandian did not have any right to sell the property,” he said. Sekar said the party high command had no locus standi to sack him.