Author: Press Trust of India
Publication: NDTV.com
Date: January 17, 2009
URL: http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20090080416#
Acting tough for refusing to fall in line
with the party stand, CPM suspended its MP from Kannur A P Abdullakutty on
Saturday. Abdullakutty had defended his remarks praising the Gujarat Chief
Minister Narendra Modi's development model.
The one-year suspension was slapped on the
43-year-old two-term MP by the Mayyil area committee of the party which met
at CPM Kannur district headquarters, a day after Abdullakutty issued a detailed
statement standing by what he had said.
In his reply to the explanation sought by
the party, Abdullakutty had said he saw merit in Modi's efforts to create
an investor-friendly atmosphere, while continuing to be opposed to the BJP
leader's "communal agenda and anti-minority stance".
Abdullakutty, who earlier embarrassed the
party by speaking against hartals and by openly performing Eid Namaz at an
Idgah, said when he praised Modi, his intention was to trigger a positive
debate on development.
Abdullakutty also rejected the argument that
his praising Modi would distance Muslims from the party, holding it was the
Muslim community which was eager to have an investment-friendly climate in
Kerala.
He said he had received kudos from Muslim
friends for speaking about the development culture in Gujarat, while on a
visit to Dubai last month.
Abdullakutty, who came to politics through
the party's student wing SFI, was projected as the CPM's minority face in
north Kerala. When Abdullakutty wrested the Kannur seat for the party in 1998
from Congress which held it for long, it was widely seen as a result of the
party getting a good chunk of minority votes in the area.
