Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MLA A.P. Abdullakutty’s revelations about the CPM’s politics of murder in an article in the Congress mouthpiece ‘Veekshanam’ on Wednesday, particularly referring to CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan’s call to follow the Bengal style of killings, has triggered a controversy besides embarrassing the Marxists.

Abdullakutty recollects: After the killing of five persons in CPM-BJP clashes in Kannur in 2008, there was the usual peace meeting at the collectorate.

But I can never forget another incident that happened at the same time. CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan had convened a meeting in Azhikodan Mandiram to discuss the issue.

Myself, P. Karunakaran, P. Sathidevi, MPs, MLAs and other top leaders were present. At the end, Sathidevi expressed her grouse. She said Left MPs were hanging their heads in shame in Parliament. BJP members were flashing photos of severed bodies. We cannot stand this and such barbaric killings should end.

A grim Pinarayi acknowledged Sathi’s point and said: “In this matter, we should learn from Bengalis. They do it without shedding even a drop of blood. They kidnap people, bury their bodies in deep pit along with a sack of salt. The world never comes to know about the blood, photographs or the news about such killings.’’

Pinarayi’s explanation choked me. But I could see the glow in the eyes of Jayarajans. After the meeting, we MPs returned to Delhi. I shared the incident with friend Suresh Kurup who too was disturbed. Later, I met Anil Basu, CPM MP from Bengal. I asked him about Bengal killings in the presence of Kurup. To our shock, Basu said: “Yes comrade, Bengal line is very simple. Your Kerala line is the ancient barbarianism. In Bengal, not a drop of blood will be there, even bones will disappear.’’

I had written this piece earlier for my autobiography, Ningal enne Congress aaki. But I tore it. I was a coward. I was afraid of making this experience public. But the TPC murder case verdict gave me the courage to share the incident, Abdullakutty concluded.

Baseless charges: Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday rejected the statement attributed to him by Congress MLA A.P. Abdullakutty and termed the allegations baseless.

Reacting to the article written by Abdullakutty in the Congress mouthpiece ‘Veekshanam,’ Vijayan said that he was not someone who had not witnessed such violent incidents.

“But there has never been an instance where I had to cite the experience of another region to evaluate the conditions here. That situation has never happened,’’ he said.

Without naming Abdullakutty he said: “But the person who is saying all this now has never been part of any such situation at any stage. That’s all I can say at the moment.’’

Coming close on the heels of T.P. Chandrasekharan murder case verdict in which three CPM leaders have been sentenced to life imprisonment on the charges of conspiracy, Abdullakutty’s article has put the party on the defensive.

Though party leaders are trying to put up a brave face suggesting that Abdullakutty was making baseless charges with an intent to destroy the CPM, the matter has raised several questions in the minds of people.

Many feel that even Pinarayi Vijayan’s reaction is not quite convincing.