The decision to take disciplinary action against 88-year-old VS, as he is popularly known, for his "wrong remarks and for violation of the basic norms of the party" was taken by the CPI(M) Central Committee after a a two-day meeting which ended here this evening.
"We are not happy to do this. We hope this chapter ends here," CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat told a press conference.
The Central Committee described him as the senior most leader of the party in Kerala and expected that he act in such a manner which will help the party to unitedly face the current situation.
Public censure is the third stage of punishment in CPI(M). For disciplinary action, CPI(M) has six stages -- warning, censure, public censure, removal from the post in the party, suspension from full party membership for any period but not exceeding one year and expulsion.
Achuthanandan, the Leader of Opposition in Kerala and a member of the Central Committee, has been at loggerheads with the state party leadership on several issues, including the recent killing of a CPI(M) rebel T P Chandrasekharan.
He was also opposed to the decisions taken by his bete noire and Kerala CPI(M) Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, whose faction had insisted in the Central Committee that strict action should be taken against Achuthanandan.
Earlier in the day, Achuthanandan was called to the meeting of the Politburo which was convened after the morning session of Central Committee. Achuthanandan explained his position in the meeting which was also attended by Vijayan.
Karat said the Central Committee considered a report submitted by the Politburo on the prevailing situation in Kerala and party related matters there. MORE