Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] district committee member P.K. Sasi is expected to quit the post of chairperson of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) soon. He is likely to resign in the wake of facing demotion and strictures within the CPI(M).
A meeting of the CPI(M) district secretariat held here on Sunday in the presence of party State secretary M.V. Govindan had decided to remove Mr. Sasi from all elected positions.
CPI(M) sources said Mr. Sasi might quit the KTDC chairperson’s post before the party asks him to do so. However, he is likely to appeal to the State secretariat against the district secretariat’s action saying that the district body did not follow the norms.
Minister for Local Self-Governments M.B. Rajesh said he had taken part in the meeting of the district secretariat, but was not aware of any action initiated against Mr. Sasi.
Mr. Sasi faced allegations of financial misappropriation in connection with the functioning of a cooperative college under CPI(M) control at Mannarkkad. The CPI(M) had instituted an inquiry commission against Mr. Sasi. The commission is learned to have found misappropriations to the tune of lakhs of rupees. Sources said Mr. Sasi had siphoned off ₹10 lakh from the party office building fund and ₹10 lakh from the party district conference fund.
The commission is also learned to have found serious faults with Mr. Sasi and blamed him for his luxurious lifestyle, which was not in conformity with a communist leader.
Complaints abound
There are several complaints against Mr. Sasi before the party leadership. The party’s Mannarkkad local committee member had complained against him with documents as proof. Although the party had ignored the complaint at first, the leadership was forced to intervene following reports about it in the media.
Mr. Sasi had earlier faced disciplinary action in connection with a sexual abuse allegation against him. However, he returned to party positions after a suspension of six months in 2019.
