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The Hindu
The Hindu
National
The Hindu Bureau

Don’t try to intimidate CPI(M), Deshabhimani with defamation case: M.V. Govindan

Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State secretary M.V. Govindan has said that Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran should not try to intimidate him by stating that a defamation case will be filed against him.

Speaking at the State-level inauguration of the construction of 60 houses as part of the NGO Union’s diamond jubilee celebrations at Cherupazhassi in Mayyil on Monday, Mr. Govindan said Deshabhimani and the CPI(M) were not afraid of a defamation case and they would fight the case strongly.

He was responding to Mr. Sudhakaran’s statement that he would file a defamation case against the CPI(M) secretary and the party newspaper Deshabhimani. Mr. Govindan had alleged that Mr. Sudhakaran was present at the property when fake antiquities dealer Monson Mavunkal sexually harassed a minor. The allegation was based on a report that appeared in Deshabhimani.

Lot of evidence

He asked was it not Mr. Sudhakaran who himself disclosed the information in the Monson Mavunkal fraud case. Neither he or the Deshabhimani said that much, he said. “Three days after Monson was sentenced to life in the POCSO case, it was Mr. Sudhakaran who said that Monson is his friend and not his enemy,” Mr. Govindan said. He made the statement because he was afraid that the secrets would come out. There might be a lot of evidence against Mr. Sudhakaran and these might tumble out in the coming days, he said.

Even Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan feared that he would have the same fate as Mr. Sudhakaran. He did not build houses for the poor after collecting money for the Punarjani project, Mr. Govindan said.

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