Kerala CPI-M Secretary MV Govindan on Sunday denied that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan barring party’s Central Committee member P K Sreemathy from participating in the state secretariat meeting.

He also rebutted news reports that he had asked her not to attend the meeting.

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Speaking to media persons here, Govinndan said it is not the chief minister who decides on the participation in party committees. The decision that P K Sreemathy won’t work in the state unit is that of the party’s organisation, he said.

“Sreemathy was a member of the secretariat and state committee. However, she was removed from both the committee and the secretariat after reaching the age of 75. She is now working at the Centre in New Delhi as she is no longer a member of the state secretariat or state committee,” Govindan said

There were reports that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had banned Sreemathy from participating in the state secretariat meeting held last week. Vijayan reportedly said at the state secretariat meeting that Sreemathy could not attend the state secretariat meeting as a member of the central committee.

Pinarayi Vijayan reportedly said she was given a relaxation in the age limit for continuing as a member of the Central Committee. The age relaxation given is applicable only to the central committee and hence she cannot participate in the CPI-M state secretariat, he said

Hence, Sreemathy did not attend the secretariat meeting held on Friday, but attended the state committee meeting held on Saturday, it has been reported

Meanwhile, PK Sreemathi dismissed the reports that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asked her not to attend the party’s state secretariat meeting as baseless. “This news about me is totally baseless,” she asserted.