The Communist Party is facing intense criticism and accusations of hypocrisy after offering condolences and a symbolic red salute to the late Comrade V.S. Achuthanandan, the iconic Communist leader and former Chief Minister of Kerala, who passed away on 21 July 2025 at the age of 101.

Achuthanandan was a founding figure of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the last surviving member among the 32 leaders who famously broke away from the CPI during the historic 1964 national council meeting. The split occurred because the CPI leadership supported China during the 1962 Indo-China war, an alignment that deeply divided the party.

At the time, many CPI leaders went so far as to oppose organizing blood donation camps for Indian soldiers. In stark contrast, Achuthanandan stood against this pro-China stance not once, but twice. His defiance came at a personal cost he was physically assaulted, demoted, and eventually removed from the party’s Central Committee.

Yet, now, the same CPI that once sidelined him for his patriotism has taken to social media to declare, “CPI mourns the loss of Comrade VS Achuthanandan,” sparking widespread backlash for what critics see as a shameless and revisionist gesture.

Red Salute to Comrade V. S. Achuthanandan!

Veteran communist leader and Former Kerala Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan passed away at the age of 101 on July 21. His life of struggle and unwavering dedication to the cause of the people will forever be an inspiration. pic.twitter.com/lfEDkh1PTC

— CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) July 21, 2025

Who Was V.S. Achuthanandan?

Despite this, he was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly multiple times – in 1967, 1970, 1991, 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016 and served as the Leader of the Opposition thrice. Achuthanandan was also Chief Minister from 2006 to 2011. He remained a Politburo member from 1985 until his removal in 2009, when internal party disputes came to a head. Even in 2015, on the Alappuzha conference, the party passed a resolution branding him a “comrade with an anti-party mindset.”

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The post Communist Party Once Punished V.S. Achuthanandan For Supporting India During India-China War, Now Offers Him “Red Salute” In Death appeared first on The Commune.

In a shocking display of support for a banned extremist group, the Communist Party of India (CPI) has publicly denounced the recent anti-Maoist operation in Chhattisgarh that resulted in the death of Nambala Keshava Rao, alias Basavaraju—the General Secretary and top commander of the CPI (Maoist), an organisation officially designated as a terrorist group by the Indian government under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) since 22 June 2009.

On 21 May, security forces carried out a high-stakes mission, codenamed Operation Kagar, in the dense Abujhmad forests of Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district. The operation culminated in the elimination of Basavaraju, who had a bounty of ₹1.5 crore on his head and was considered the mastermind behind some of the most brutal Maoist attacks in the country. His death is being viewed by security agencies as a critical success in the fight against the decades-long insurgency.

However, instead of supporting the action, the CPI condemned the encounter, describing it as a “cold-blooded killing” and an example of unlawful state conduct.

CPI General Secretary D. Raja released a statement on 21 May, asserting, “CPI strongly condemns the cold-blooded killing of a senior Maoist leader along with several Adivasis in Chhattisgarh. It is yet another instance of extrajudicial action carried out under the guise of counterinsurgency operations. The repeated use of lethal force instead of lawful arrest raises serious concerns about the State’s commitment to democratic norms and the rule of law. If the authorities had credible intelligence about the whereabouts of the leader, why was a legal arrest not pursued? Why was due process—guaranteed by the Constitution—so blatantly ignored. These killings not only point to a dangerous pattern of State violence but also expose the ongoing marginalisation of Adivasi communities in the region. Time and again, these communities are caught in the crossfire of a conflict they did not initiate, and are treated as collateral in operations marked by impunity. CPI demands an independent judicial inquiry into this episode and the entire Operation Kagar. The people of Chhattisgarh—and India at large—deserve to know the truth.  A democratic society cannot allow the State to become the judge, jury, and executioner. Justice must be served, and the dignity and rights of Adivasi lives must be upheld. CPI calls upon all democratic and progressive forces to raise their voices against this injustice and stand in solidarity with the people of Chhattisgarh.”

CPI strongly condemns the cold-blooded killing of a senior Maoist leader along with several Adivasis in Chhattisgarh. It is yet another instance of extrajudicial action carried out under the guise of counterinsurgency operations.

The repeated use of lethal force instead of… pic.twitter.com/qWr5HzPlIH

— D. Raja (@ComradeDRaja) May 21, 2025

Who Was Basavaraju, Also Known as “The Red Commander”?

Born in 1955 in the village of Jiyannapet in Andhra Pradesh, Nambala Keshava Rao, popularly known as Basavaraju, was an engineering graduate from NIT Warangal. Despite his academic background, he joined the People’s War Group in the early 1980s, immersing himself in the armed Maoist movement.

In 1987, he is believed to have undergone guerrilla warfare training with the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), a skillset he would later use to orchestrate deadly IED attacks across Maoist-affected regions in India.

Basavaraju was reportedly the mastermind behind several major attacks, including:

• The 2010 Dantewada massacre, where 76 CRPF personnel were killed in one of the deadliest Maoist attacks in India.
• The 2013 Jeeram Ghati ambush, which resulted in 27 deaths, including senior Congress leaders.
• The 2003 Alipiri bomb attack, an unsuccessful attempt on the life of then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

In 2018, he rose to the position of General Secretary of the CPI (Maoist) after the retirement of Ganapathy (Muppala Lakshmana Rao), assuming the role of both ideological leader and tactical strategist. For years, he remained underground, managing operations and evading law enforcement.

Operation Kagar

‘Operation Kagar’ was the codename for a coordinated assault aimed at top Maoist commanders operating in the forested belt connecting Narayanpur, Bijapur, and Dantewada in Chhattisgarh. Following sustained intelligence tracking, the operation was launched on May 19 by joint units of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), the Special Task Force (STF), and the CRPF.

Over the course of a 50-hour gunbattle, more than 30 Maoists were killed, including Basavaraju. Security personnel seized a large stockpile of weapons, ammunition, and strategic Maoist documents, signaling a critical blow to the insurgents’ infrastructure and leadership.

Among those neutralized were high-ranking figures from the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) and the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA). Authorities are continuing to search the area for survivors and additional rebel hideouts.

The encounter, while successful, came at a cost. One DRG personnel lost his life in the operation. His body was later recovered and brought back to the district headquarters.

Despite harsh terrain and well-armed resistance, state and central forces remained determined to dislodge Maoist presence from Abujhmad, considered one of the group’s last strongholds in central India.

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The General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI), D Raja, has rejected a request from the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) asking all Kerala MPs to support the Waqf Amendment Bill. Raja stated, “Our parties will oppose it.”

#WATCH | Madurai, Tamil Nadu | On request by Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) to all MPs of Kerala to support Waqf Amendment Bill, CPI leader D Raja says, "You must ask them…Today, this matter is likely to be taken up in the Parliament. Our parties will oppose it." pic.twitter.com/y2MCZLpcYo

— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2025

This response follows a statement from the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council on 29 March 2025, in which they expressed support for the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024. The KCBC urged Kerala’s Members of Parliament to vote in favor of the Bill when it is discussed, criticizing certain provisions of the Waqf Act as “unconstitutional and unjust.”

A press release from the KCBC highlighted the Munambam land dispute, where the Kerala State Waqf Board claimed ownership of about 404 acres in the Munambam area of Ernakulam district. The land is disputed by 600 families, mostly Latin Catholics and backward Hindu communities, who assert that they legally purchased the land decades ago from Farook College, which previously managed it.

The KCBC, through its President Cardinal Clemis Katholika Bava, Vice-President Bishop Polly Kannookkatan, and Secretary-General Bishop Alex Vadakkumthala, called on Kerala MPs to support amendments to the “objectionable” sections of the Waqf Act.

The Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, has faced strong opposition from Muslims nationwide. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) recently urged Muslims to participate in protests against the bill and wear black armbands. The AIMPLB condemned the bill as a “sinister conspiracy” aimed at depriving Muslims of their religious institutions, including mosques, madrasas, graveyards, and other charitable entities. Protests were held across various states following the AIMPLB’s call, particularly during the last Friday prayers of Ramadan.

Several opposition parties have also vocally opposed the bill, criticizing it as an infringement on Muslim rights and constitutional principles. Among the parties opposing the legislation are the Samajwadi Party, Aam Aadmi Party, Trinamool Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

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Thrissur CPI MLA P Balachandran apologised for his contentious remark on Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana, hours after the BJP filed a police complaint against him and his party distanced themselves from his remarks.

The MLA’s controversial social media post said, “Ram was innocent, and as he was suffering from a plantar wart, he was not arrogant. Lakshmana brought Porotta and meat one day, and Sita served it to the brothers. At that time, a deer came that way. Sita asked Ram to catch that deer and cook it for her.”

Although the post has been deleted, several screenshots of the content were circulated and criticized online. 

BJP Thrissur district president K K Aneesh Kumar filed a police complaint against Balachandran, accusing him of hurting religious sentiments. According to agency reports, he demanded to book a case under section 153 of the Indian Penal Code against the MLA for wantonly giving provocation to cause a riot.

“I am a practising Hindu and a devotee of Lord Ram. Denigrating Lord Ram, Sita, and Lakshman Thrissur MLA P Balachandran has hurt my religious sentiments. this social media post is aimed at hurting religious sentiments and causing riot. I urge you to initiate action against the MLA for hurting religious sentiments and attempting to cause riot,” he said in a social media post.

“Only a Communist can use such derogatory words to denigrate the faith of Hindus. They have been trying for a long time to win the support of fundamentalists by disparaging the culture of the state. Let the people who elected this representative hang their heads in shame,” Kumar added.

Meanwhile, CPI officials distanced themselves from the controversy, with Thrissur district secretary K K Valsaraj describing Balachandran’s post as a mistake. He added that the MLA’s post did not reflect the party’s views.

Balachandran apologised for the post on Facebook following the furore.

“I had posted an old story in my FB page. I never intended to hurt anyone and the story was deleted within minutes. I regret posting that story,” he said in the post.

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On May 13th, 2023, the Election Commission of India announced the results for the Karnataka Assembly election, marking a significant moment in the state’s political landscape. While the Congress party emerged as the single largest party, the post-election scenario brought about internal challenges and a power struggle within the party. The battle for the Chief Ministerial position between party state president DK Shiva Kumar and former CM Siddaramaiah created a power struggle that has yet to be resolved.

With the election results unveiled, the Congress party celebrated its position as the leading party, having secured 135 seats in the assembly. This victory placed them at the forefront, though not with an absolute majority. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) followed closely behind with 66 seats, and the Janata Dal (Secular) (JD-S) secured 19 seats, making it the third-largest party in the race.

Apart from seat allocations, analyzing the vote shares provides valuable insights into the support garnered by each party. The Congress party gained a vote share of approximately 42.88%, emerging as the frontrunner in terms of popularity among the electorate. The BJP secured 36% of the total votes, highlighting its significant voter base. The JD(S) obtained a respectable 13.29% vote share, reflecting its influence in certain regions. However, it is worth noting that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) collectively received less than 1% of the total votes, indicating a decline in their popularity.

The final projection by the Election Commission of India in it’s website shows that Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) got only 0.6% vote share, in terms of votes, around 24,000 votes. And the Communist Party of India (CPI) got 0.02% vote share, which is around 8,000 Votes. But even after summing the votes of both the parties, didnt not touch 1/8th of the votes received by NOTA. In this election, the NOTA received almost 2.69 Lakh votes, that is 0.69% vote share.

Instead of introspecting the results, the communists leaders were busy in praising Congress publicly for defeating BJP, which stands at 2nd position with 36% Vote Share and with almost 1.4 Crores votes. But the point to be noted here is, compared to 2018 Election result, the BJP got more than 7 lakh votes this time. In case of CPI and CPI(M), both have lost the significant number of votes and left the vote share almost close to null. In 2018, CPI and CPI-M got 4871 and 81191 votes respectively, which is 0.01% and 0.22% of vote share. It clearly shows Communists parties were loosing the ground. 

(Pradeep G is the State Secretary of BJP Tamil Nadu’s IT-DM Cell.)

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A school teacher in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala while taking a class online for students of 9th grade was heard mocking Hindu gods and questioned the existence of Hindu gods while preaching Christianity saying only Jesus Christ existed.

The teacher named Brinda who was teaching students of Cotton Hill School, Thiruvananthapuram also said that she has all the evidence to say that Christ existed.

After this incident came to light, the parents of the students in her class complained to the PTA management of the school. Parents complained that the teacher was trying to eliminate the concept of Hindu gods from the minds of children.

Also, the same school had published a souvenir before few years containing cartoons that insulted Hindu Gods and after protests by Hindu organizations, the school management was forced to withdraw the souvenir.
 
It has also been alleged that the PTA of Cotton Hill school is under the strong influence of CPI (M) activists who silently support anti-Hindu sentiments in the school.

(With inputs from Organiser)

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In a show of unity and strength, Islamists backed by left politicians from Kerala in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep have started propaganda warfare against Lakshadweep Administrator Praful Patel to block new reforms. 

In an organized campaign against the Administrator of the Union Territory, Islamists and Communist politicians from Kerala have accused Praful Patel of trying to undermine the ‘Islamic character’ of Lakshadweep where Muslims constitute 96% of the total population.

The left and the Islamists are also using social media for misinformation campaigns and have spun a narrative wherein they are now claiming that the rise in new Covid-19 cases on the island is due to the Administrator’s actions.

However, Collector Asker Ali in an interview with The Print refuted the claims and informed that it was wrong to blame the surge in cases entirely on the relaxation in quarantine measures. Ali said increased movement of people with economic activity led to a “very high” transmission rate of the new strain’ as the main reasons for the rise in coronavirus cases.

As per the report, alcohol and drug addiction in the last few years have risen in Lakshadweep and after assuming responsibility in December 2020, Praful Patel had conducted 18 raids across the UT to fight the growing menace.

Additionally, Goondas Act was imposed in the Union Territory to restrict the smuggling and distribution of alcohol and drugs.

But the left and Islamist groups couldn’t stay put after the administration had pulled down Anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) posters placed by radical Islamists outfits throughout the island.

Also, any effort by Patel for infrastructure development projects in the Islands has been resisted because it will boost tourism and jobs in the island which will hurt the control of the left-Islamists.

On social media reform policies of Patel have been called ‘fascist’. Patel imposed the rule that banned candidates with more than 2 children from contesting Panchayat polls which has been implemented in several states.

While the Islamists say the island to be crime-free, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) has raised concerns of illegal berthing of foreign vessels.

A while back a Sri Lankan fishing boat Ravihansi was intercepted by Coast Guard off Minicoy Island and onboard 300 kgs Heroin worth ₹3000 crore was seized along with 5 AK-47 rifles with 1,000 live rounds.

In 2019, there were intelligence reports which suggested the movement of 15 ISIS terrorists from Sri Lanka to the Lakshadweep Islands.

The political support for the Islamist organizations against the administration is coming from CPIM leader and Rajya Sabha MP Elamanam Kareem, Kerala Congress leader VT Balram who had also announced solidarity with these ‘protests’.

Patel administration has been trying to boost tourism and improve the security of Lakshadweep due to its strategic importance and also make this island the new preferred holiday destination by fixing the poor infrastructure to turn it into the most sought out tourist destination which is now being prevented by vested interests in the islands.

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After it emerged that an Indian named Soumya Santosh, a native of Kerala who was in Israel as a caregiver to an elderly woman in the southern Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon was killed by rockets launched by the Sunni Islamist terror group Hamas, both the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and United Democratic Front (UDF) simply could not condemn the Palestinians for this terror attack.

Soumya Santosh, hailing from Idukki, Kerala was 31 years old nurse and was killed when Hamas fired rockets towards the civilian population.

However, According to the reports, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was forced to change his Facebook post after facing criticism from Islamists in Kerala. The CM actually had to edit his Facebook post to delete any references he made to link Soumya’s death Hamas.

If the Kerala Islamists were not happy, the Communists and the Congress were not far behind to appease Muslims in the state.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) said it was the Israeli who attacked Palestine and said, “the air raids carried out by Israel on the Gaza strip led to the death of many Palestinian citizens”.

“Israel is moving towards the complete occupation of East Jerusalem by attacking Palestinians who were protesting its attempt to forcefully expel residents of Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood to make way for Jewish settlements. Netanyahu, who had repeatedly failed to win a majority in the Israel elections, launched these attacks for petty political gains,” the statement issued by the CPI(M) said.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Janapaksham party and former Poonjar MLA P C George came down heavily on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and called him “irattachankan”, (man with two hearts) for not condoling the death of the Malayali nurse who was killed in Israel.

In a strong-worded FB post on Wednesday, George wrote “You are a conniver. This is a big example for indulging in appeasement eyeing few votes. Who are you fearing of? Palestine or Hamas? Or the Hamas in Kerala? Maybe for the junior comrades you may be double-hearted. But both those hearts are in the control of others.”

George was relentless in his attack and did not spare the communist leaders of the state. He said, “Those people who howl based on the direction from the AKG centre are also fast asleep. Kerala is making progress on the strength of the money sent by our children who earn from working abroad. Please show gratitude for that at least.”

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As Kerala heads for polls tomorrow 6 April, the Congress party’s Kerala president Mullappally Ramachandran has sounded the alarm and called for a tactical backing of its ally Muslim League’s candidate in the constituency to stop the threat of ascendancy of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

For the Congress, the threat of losing this constituency looms large because BJP’s Kerala state president K Surendran is contesting from Manjeshwar.

Ramachandran’s statement should be analysed carefully because various opinion polls are predicting a BJP victory in the constituency. In the 2016 assembly election, K Surendran had lost the election with a margin of only 89 votes.

The Islamist radical outfit Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political wing of the Popular Front of India (PFI), has also backed the Muslim League candidate in order to defeat the BJP. In Kerala, it is quite common for the Congress and the Muslim League to join forces.

Ramachandran is now in for the fight for his political future as he also pleads with the Communist parties to transfer votes to each other in the constituencies where the BJP has high chances of winning.

But the irony is that while the state Congress chief is asking for help from the communists, his leader Rahul Gandhi has gone on a full offensive to discredit the Communist Party of India – Marxists (CPIM) and the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government.

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As the date nears for the assembly elections in Kerala, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has become very desperate to win the alienated Hindu vote.

In the last five years, the CPI(M) has done everything in its power to hurt the sentiments of Hindus but now Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran has expressed regret over the incidents that took place at Sabarimala over women entry.

“It was a strange incident in 2018. Everyone is disappointed over it. We are also disheartened about the Supreme Court verdict and related issues in Sabarimala. But we hope that the public is no more worried about the incident. Whatever be the verdict of the Supreme Court over the women entry in Sabarimala, we will only implement it after holding talks with the believers. We have been repeating this stance. The government has already quashed all cases relating to the Sabarimala protests. All these moves are upholding one message,” said the minister.

The CPM led Kerala government led the charge from the front to allow women entry into Sabarimala and in that process, thousands of cases were registered against peaceful agitators who protested against the state government’s decision regarding Sabarimala.
 
However, the reality is that Surendran who was elected from this constituency now faces the strong prospect of losing his seat and has now accepted that the government committed a mistake by allowing women to enter the Sabarimala.

This will be a serious U-turn on the part of this so-called secular party which harps on women’s rights. Recently a Hindu candidate who was contesting from a Muslim majority had to face protests from the majority who demanded that only a Muslim could contest.
 
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