CPI(M) orders internal enquiry into mobile phone recording “implicating” Thrissur leadership of profiteering

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] has ordered an internal enquiry into the leak of a mobile phone audio recording that appeared to implicate the party’s leadership in Thrissur in “multi-crore corrupt” dealings. 

The audio clipping went viral on social and conventional media on Friday, sparking a fresh political controversy, which the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) sought to exploit to put the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) on the defensive ahead of the Legislative Assembly session, which commences on September 15.

Troublingly for the CPI(M), the controversial audio recording has been questionably ascribed to Sarath Prasad, the party’s district committee member and Thrissur district secretary of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI). 

The anonymous audio recording seeks to cast CPI(M)‘s Kunnamkulam MLA A.C. Moideen and former party legislator M K Kannan under suspicion of profiteering from “brokering deals” using their considerable political heft.

On Saturday, Leader of the Opposition, V.D. Satheesan, sought to weaponise the audio clipping of questionable provenance against the CPI(M) by accusing the ruling party of being a “collective of robber barons”.

He noted that the CPI(M)‘s Thrissur leadership remained under the shadow of the ₹400 crore Karuvanoor Cooperative Bank scam, which cost thousands of trusting depositors their life savings.

Mr. Satheesan alleged that the CPI(M) had given a leg-up to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Thrissur, thereby ensuring the Enforcement Directorate’s probe into the “banking fraud” fizzled out.

Mr. Moideen told reporters in Thrissur that the DYFI leader had prima facie denied any association with the controversial voice clip used as a prop by Congress and the right-wing media to denigrate CPI(M) leaders. 

He said the CPI(M) submitted its funds to the IT department to ensure legal and financial transparency. Moreover, Mr. Moideen added, that no individual leader could solicit funds at will or in a personal capacity, and political fundraising campaigns were a collective effort audited by the party.

Mr. Moideen said he maintained probity, like other communist leaders, in public and personal life. Mr. Kannan denied the imputation that he held crores of rupees in various bank accounts and asked the Congress to produce evidence. 

LDF convenor T.P. Ramakrishnan termed the Congress’s “defamatory campaign” a damp squib and a short-lived election stunt. He said the party in Thrissur would soon get to the bottom of the matter and take necessary action, if warranted.