As pressure mounts within the CPI(M) to act against former leader A. Padmakumar in connection with the Sabarimala gold theft case, all eyes are now on a meeting of the CPI(M) Pathanamthitta district committee on Monday.

The party leadership has confirmed that all issues relating to Mr.Padmakumar will be taken up at the meeting. “Whether he should be removed from party positions or whether disciplinary action should be initiated can be decided only after a detailed discussion,” said a senior party leader.

Since Mr. Padmakumar is a district committee member, any disciplinary decision will require the approval of the State leadership before it can be implemented. Senior leaders Thomas Isaac and V. N. Vasavan will attend the meeting tomorrow as representatives of the State leadership.

Possible disclosures

The meeting, meanwhile, also assumes significance following speculations that disciplinary action against Padmakumar could trigger disclosures that may put the party in an uncomfortable position. The gold smuggling controversy had figured prominently during the recent State committee meeting of CPI(M), which concluded that the matter too had contributed to its electoral setback. Accordingly, the State committee entrusted the district leadership with deciding the appropriate disciplinary action.

While there appears to be broad agreement within the party that disciplinary proceedings are necessary to prevent further embarrassment, differences persist over the nature and severity of the action to be taken. According to party insiders, a section of the leadership remains apprehensive that severe disciplinary action could provoke Mr. Padmakumar into making damaging disclosures. There have also been reports that he is preparing an autobiography in which he may refer to senior party leaders. “Some remarks made by Mr.Padmakumar, including references to a person he described as ‘God-like,’ are widely being interpreted as veiled comments directed at certain top party leaders,” a party leader said.

The CPI(M) leadership, however, has sought to dismiss such speculation. “If at all Mr. Padmakumar is to reveal anything, the party has nothing to do with it,” CPI(M) State secretary M. V. Govindan told media persons on Sunday.

Mr. Padmakumar, the former president of the Travancore Devaswom Board, was serving as a member of the CPI(M) Pathanamthitta district committee when he was arraigned as an accused in the case. The Special Investigation Team probing the scam recorded his arrest in both the cases in connection with the controversy. He is currently out on bail after spending nearly three-and-a-half months in jail.

Following the case, the party directed that he be kept away from its programmes, maintaining that disciplinary action could await the final outcome of the investigation. Subsequently, the district secretary issued him a notice seeking an explanation for bringing disrepute to the party.