"VS (Achutanandan) cannot be compared to Chatterjee, as the latter was the biggest class betrayer," Vijayan said.
Seeking to play down his differences with Kerala chief minister VS Achuthanandan on the SNC-Lavalin corruption case, CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday that Achuthanandan could not be compared to Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee, whom he termed as a 'class betrayer' for defying the party line.
"VS (Achutanandan) cannot be compared to Chatterjee, as the latter was the biggest class betrayer," Vijayan, who is sought to be arraigned as an accused by the CBI in the case, said.
Asked for his reaction to the remark of Co-operation minister G Sudhakaran that "Communists could not be betrayers", which was interpreted in the media as a veiled criticism of Achuthanandan, Vijayan said that his party colleague cannot be compared with Chatterjee, who was expelled from the party for defying the official line during last
year's trust vote in Parliament.
"When Sudhakaran made such a comment, the person whom he meant was Somnath Chatterjee. You cannot compare a leader like Achuthanandan with Somnath Chatterjee, who was a betrayer (of the party)," Vijayan said.
"Your dream to compare Achuthanandan with Chatterjee is not going to materialise", he said.
Vijayan, who is on his 'Nava Kerala March', sought to play down Achuthanandan's non-participation in the campaign, holding that all leaders might not be able to participate in it. "I don't see it as a big problem. There are several other party state secretariat members who have not joined the march".
The state secretary declined to comment on the SNC-Lavalin case, which deals with allegations of corruption in awarding contracts to a Canadian firm during his tenure as power minister in the EK Nayanar ministry in March 1998.
Achuthanandan had on February 3 said that as a constitutional functionary, questioning the CBI on the matter would amount to challenging the court as the probe was conducted as per the directions of the Kerala High Court.
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