Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 30 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday clarified that party central committee member and former MP P K Sreemathi can attend state secretariat meetings in connection with the responsibilities she has been given.

Vijayan, in response to reporters' queries regarding the matter during a press conference here, said that Sreemathi has been given organisational responsibilities in connection with her work for women and not in the Kerala unit of the party.

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"So, there is no bar for her attending state committee meetings and any state secretariat meetings held in connection with that. Taking part in all state secretariat meetings is a part of discharging organisational responsibilities in the state unit. Since she does not have those responsibilities, that issue does not arise," the CM clarified.

He also said that this has been clarified by Sreemathi herself and the party general secretary M A Baby recently.

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Baby on Sunday had dismissed reports that Sreemathi has been barred from attending the Kerala state secretariat meetings of the Left party at the behest of CM Vijayan.

Sreemathi, in a Facebook post, had termed the news about her "ban" from the state secretariat meetings as "completely baseless."

During the press conference, Vijayan said that CPI(M) has a rule that its leaders across India can hold organisational responsibilities till the age of 75 years, but sometimes exemptions are given, like in his case.

He said that when this rule was implemented this year in Kerala, A K Balan, P K Sreemathi and Anavoor Nagappan had to retire from the state secretariat.

However, during the party congress held in Tamil Nadu recently, Sreemathi's work in the field of women welfare was noted and appreciated and in order to ensure she continues her efforts in that field it was decided that she should be a part of the central committee.

Subsequently, she was given an exemption by including her in the party's central quota, he said.

As a result, she will continue her work on a national level, but as she lives in Kerala, she will also take part in the state committee meetings here, he added.

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