VS Achuthanandan, former Kerala CM, veteran communist leader, passes away at 101
Thiruvananthapuram: V.S. Achuthanandan, one of India's most respected communist leaders and a towering presence in Kerala politics for over eight decades, passed away on Monday at the age of 101. He had been bedridden in recent years due to prolonged illness.
Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan, popularly known as VS, served as the Chief Minister of Kerala from 2006 to 2011 and remained a central figure in the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPM] for decades. His tenure as Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly spanned 15 years, the longest in the state's history.
Achuthanandan began his political journey in 1939 through the State Congress and trade union activism. He officially joined the Communist Party in 1940 and was instrumental in mobilising coir workers, toddy tappers, and agricultural labourers. His efforts led to the founding of the Travancore Karshaka Thozhilali Union, which later evolved into the Kerala State Karshaka Thozhilali Union (KSKTU).
A Politburo member from 1985 to 2009, he was later moved to the party's Central Committee. VS played a vital role in several landmark struggles, including the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising of 1946, a defining moment in Kerala’s pre-independence labour movement. His life was marked by immense personal sacrifice: he spent over five years in prison and remained underground for nearly four and a half years during periods of intense political repression.
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Congress misleading public on National Herald case, matter still in court: BJP
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Wednesday accused the Congress of running misleading propaganda over the trial court's decision in the National Herald case and said the court refused to take cognisance of the complaint but did not set aside the case.
The case is still pending trial in the Delhi High Court, and the trial court in its order on Tuesday said that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) can continue its investigation, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia asserted.
"The court yesterday (Tuesday) said that since it is a private complaint and no FIR has been lodged, it will not take cognizance of it. It's a technical matter. The court also said that ED can continue its investigation further. The court did not set it aside," Bhatia told a press conference at the BJP headquarters here
"Its trial is still going on. Sonia Gandhi is still Accused Number-1 and Rahul Gandhi Accused Number-2," the BJP spokesperson said, alleging, "The Gandhi family thrives on deceit, deception, and propaganda."
