Decision not to implement Kerala ordinance shows CPI(M) responsive to people's issues: Yechury

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Monday said the decision of the LDF government in Kerala not to implement a controversial ordinance that sought to give more teeth to police to crackdown on abusive social media posts shows that the party is a vibrant, democratic entity, responsive to the issues raised by people.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Monday said the decision of the LDF government in Kerala not to implement a controversial ordinance that sought to give more teeth to police to crackdown on abusive social media posts shows that the party is a vibrant, democratic entity, responsive to the issues raised by people. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a statement on Monday, said the Kerala Police Act Amendment ordinance will no longer be implemented. He said a detailed discussion will be held in the Assembly on it after which the next course of action will be decided, duly considering the opinions coming up from all quarters.

"This is an issue on which there has been genuine widespread criticism and as a party, we have taken that into account. The statement from the Kerala chief minister that the ordinance will not be implemented shows that we are a vibrant, democratic party which is open to suggestions. This is the reason why the LDF will be re-elected in the state. "We have been a party which had opposed section 66A of the IT Act. This has been our consistent position as a party. That is why, in line with this, I had announced that the ordinance will be reconsidered. After this, the procedure for the ordinance to be withdrawn is something that the Kerala government has to answer," Yechury said.

The Kerala cabinet had decided last month to give more teeth to the Police Act by recommending the addition of section 118-A. It stipulates a jail term of up to five years or a fine of up to Rs 10,000 or both for those who produce, publish or disseminate content through any means of communication with an intention to intimidate, insult or defame any person through social media. The Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government defended the move, saying it was intended to reduce cyber crimes against women.

Earlier, talking to PTI, Yechury had clearly indicated that the central leadership of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has given clear instructions to its Kerala unit to scrap the ordinance. "The ordinance will be reconsidered," he told PTI in the morning.

Asked if "reconsidered" could mean toning down the ordinance, he indicated that it means the ordinance will be scrapped. The LDF government is likely to let the ordinance lapse, sources in both the CPI(M) and the CPI said.

The central leadership of the CPI(M), at odds with the decision, has been exerting pressure on the state leadership to let the ordinance lapse. CPI general secretary D Raja said he was uncomfortable with the ordinance and the party had expressed its opinion on it to the state leadership.

"We had told our state unit that the ordinance cannot go forward. The CM's announcement has made it very clear. Now the future course of action will be decided by the state government," he said..