Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan today termed as ‘cultureless’ on the criticisms levelled by Sukumar Azhikode against the former.

VS said that he saw the allegations raised against him in the Mathrubhumi weekly. He said, “I’ve no words to express my feelings. This was not expected from a person like him.”

In the interview carried in the new edition of the Mathrubhumi weekly, Azhikode turned against VS for his laughter soon after the results were declared.

Referring to previous incidents, VS said anyone can criticize me. Criticisms are raised according to their culture, VS said while talking to reporters after the weekly cabinet meet.

VS today rebutted a charge by his rivals that he had tried to split the CPI (M) after its state secretariat’s bid to deny him a ticket to contest the 2006 Assembly polls.

“You have reported that some one (in the party state committee) has made this allegation. But those whose names have been mentioned in this context have denied it,” Achuthanandan, a senior Marxist leader, told reporters.

He was responding to queries on the charge by the CPI-M state committee member C D Dinesh Mani that Achuthanandan and some other leaders had met at the house of former Rajya Sabha member K Chandran Pillai in Kochi to discuss plans to float a new party after the state secretariat controlled by his arch foe Pinarayi Vijayan decided to keep him off the elections.

The decision, however, was later revoked at the intervention of the politburo, paving way for Achuthanandan to contest and win the polls to become the Chief Minister.

Achuthanandan recalled that Chandran Pillai himself had rejected this charge.

On reports that the Vijayan faction was likely to bring Dinesh Mani’s allegation to the party politburo’s attention, Achuthanandan said, “Let us see what will happen.”