By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan Sunday accepted that leaders too make mistakes, a day after he and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan were suspended from the party's politburo over their public row.
Though Achuthanandan kept mum after arriving at the airport here Saturday night, he talked to newsmen at the state assembly premises Sunday.
"At times, when we work for the people and the state, certain mistakes do happen and our party is like our teachers and parents who punish their wards. That's what has happened here also. The decision of the politburo has been accepted gladly," the chief minister said.
But Vijayan kept away from the media at Bangalore airport late Saturday and at Mangalore Sunday morning.
Achuthanandan and Vijayan have been at loggerhead for years, and the party's leadership had been struggling to patch up their differences but without success.
On Saturday, the politburo in New Delhi suspended both the leaders after studying "certain remarks and criticism regarding each other (made) to the media".
Meanwhile former CPI-M leader M.V. Raghavan has asked both the leaders to quit as, according to him, they have lost the moral right to continue in their posts.
Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said the suspension is a good indicator for all other parties that discipline is a must.
"It is purely an internal affair of their party and it is their problem. But now one thing is clear – the difference of opinion in the CPI-M has affected the Kerala government's performance," Ravi told reporters here.