Thiruvananthapuram: Veteran CPM leader V S Achuthanadan on Sunday termed the Thodupuzha speech by Idukki district party secretary M M Mani as “an awful attempt to brand the CPM as a party of murderers”.

Coming down heavily on Mani’s statement, Achuthanandan said at Chembazhanthy here that he could state this categorically as he was the party’s state secretary during the period mentioned by Mani.

The veteran CPM leader urged people not to believe the words of Mani, his one-time lieutenant, and that it should be neglected with the contempt it deserves.

“I was the state party secretary during 1980-82. Hence, I can tell you categorically that Mani’s statement is not factual.

“Then Mani was not the district secretary or in any such post. The party has not involved in any such activities as described by Mani.

“The CPM is a party which always fought for the rights of farmers, teachers and downtrodden.

You should reject it with the contempt it deserves as it is an attempt to portray the party as that of murderers,” he told reporters.