VS attends rebel CPM leader’s b’day

Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan on Thursday turned up at the 90th birthday celebration of Communist veteran K R Gowri Amma,who was thrown out of the party in 1994 for anti-party activities.

Gowri Amma was a member of the first Communist Cabinet led by the late E M S Namboodiripad in 1957 and had been a minister in several Left governments. After being sacked from the CPM,she formed a regional party,now part of the Congress-led UDF.

Inaugurating the celebrations in Alappuzha,the Chief Minister said, “As a Communist leader,Gowri Amma won the respect of people. However,she has to ponder over whether she could retain that admiration after she moved to the Congress camp.”

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In her address,Gowri Amma said there was no question of returning to the party,which had expelled her.

State minister G Sudhakaran,a CPM leader,also attended the public function.