Senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leaders in Palakkad have said that expelled dissident leader P.K. Sasi still has an opportunity to correct his mistakes and return to the party.

District secretary E.N. Suresh Babu said he hoped Mr. Sasi would rectify his mistakes and rejoin the party. State committee member N.N. Krishnadas said that few leaders in the district had received as much support and care from the party as Mr. Sasi.

“Perhaps because he was overly pampered, he turned against the party,” Mr. Krishnadas said, adding that similar incidents had occurred in the past and that Mr. Sasi appeared to be driven by personal interests. He also said that Mr. Sasi and those who left the party would eventually realise that the party’s stance was correct.

‘Will take legal action’

Meanwhile, Mr. Suresh Babu said he was considering legal action against Mr. Sasi over allegations made against him and would take a decision after consulting the district leadership. He rejected Mr. Sasi’s claim that he was involved in spirits trade and challenged him to produce evidence.

Mr. Suresh Babu said the issues raised by Mr. Sasi were discussed during the CITU conference in Visakhapatnam. “After those discussions, we believed he would remain in the party. We do not know what happened afterwards,” he said.

Several other leaders also criticised Mr. Sasi. District secretariat member V. Chenthamarakshan alleged that Mr. Sasi maligned anyone who did not support him.

CPI(M) Sreekrishnapuram area secretary K. Jayadevan described him as a “kingpin of dissidence,” while DYFI district secretary K.C. Riyasudheen alleged that Mr. Sasi had treated the party office as a centre for immoral activities.