CPI(M) State Secretary M V Govindan Warns of Legal Action Against Fake News; Denies Fabricated Quotes

Thiruvananthapuram: CPI(M) State Secretary M V Govindan has cautioned to remain vigilant against fake news bereft of even a grain of truth, and announced that the they will pursue legal action against outlets spreading such fabrications. He was responding to reports circulating in certain media outlets over the past few days, falsely attributing remarks to him at a party meeting held in Thiruvananthapuram.

The reports in question claimed that Govindan had told the meeting: "Who else will they put in place of me and Pinarayi — that won't happen" and "the idea of replacing me and Pinarayi is nothing but a delusion." Govindan flatly rejected these as media fabrications, stressing that it is the party — not the media — that determines who leads the CPI(M) and how it functions. He noted that the organisational structure of Communist parties is fundamentally different from that of bourgeois political parties.

Govindan said the party has conducted a thorough review in the wake of the assembly election defeat, examining criticisms raised by workers right down to the branch level, and is making the necessary corrections. He underlined that the party retains the capacity to criticise and correct any leader where errors have occurred — and that this applies to all leaders without exception.

He also disclosed that the CPI(M) has been soliciting public feedback to meet the challenges of the current era, and that tens of thousands of suggestions have already been received from the public — a response he said reflects the trust and goodwill the party commands among the people. These suggestions, along with the internal review findings, will inform an action plan to be finalised at an expanded state committee meeting scheduled for August.

Govindan charged that the fake news campaign is aimed at sabotaging the party's ongoing course-correction process and at diverting attention from public anger against the UDF government. He called on party members and the public to reject all such propaganda against the CPI(M).