Chennai, Sep 22 (IANS): Communist Party of India’s (CPI) Tamil Nadu state Secretary M. Veerapandian on Tuesday strongly rejected Minister Aadhav Arjuna’s demand that the Left explain alleged irregularities in the Highways and Public Works departments during the previous DMK government.
Veerapandian said the Communist parties could not be held responsible for the actions of an administration they had supported from outside, even as he cautioned the minister against making accusations without understanding the Left’s long history of struggles and its record in public life.
He advised Arjuna to study the history of the Communist movement before levelling allegations against the Left parties. The minister should not only read and understand that history but also share it with Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, he added.
Arjuna had raised the issue while addressing a meeting in Madurantakam. Referring to alleged corruption during the previous DMK administration, he asked whether the Communist parties could honestly claim that no wrongdoing had occurred under that government.
Rejecting the challenge, Veerapandian said the Left’s support for the former DMK government was extended in defence of democracy, and such support did not make the Communist parties accountable for every decision taken or mistake committed by the previous administration.
“Should we be asked five years later to answer for mistakes committed by others? Our support was based on an understanding with the previous government and was extended from outside. We cannot be made responsible for its mistakes,” he said.
Veerapandian also made it clear that the Communist parties had no intention of destabilising the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam government headed by Vijay under any circumstances.
Political differences with the ruling party would be raised democratically and should not be portrayed as an attempt to bring down the government, he stressed.
Defending the integrity of the Communist movement, he said no Communist had been convicted by any court in a corruption case during the movement’s long political history in Tamil Nadu. Communist Party members had neither accepted bribes nor remained silent after witnessing corruption or bribery by others, he asserted.
Veerapandian urged Arjuna to exercise restraint and examine historical facts before accusing the Left. Political support extended to a government, he said, should not be misrepresented as unconditional approval of all its actions.
