Senior CPIM leader V S Achuthanandan, who was critical of his party leadership in Kerala over several issues, was publicly censured by the party on charges of providing opponents an opportunity to attack it.

The decision to take disciplinary action against 88-year-old Achuthanandan for his wrong remarks and for violation of the basic norms of the party was taken by the CPI(M) Central Committee after a two-day meeting which ended in New Delhi on Sunday.

AIR correspondent reports that public censure is the third stage of punishment in CPI(M) which has s six stages of disciplinary action. It includes warning, censure, public censure, removal from the post in the party, suspension from full party membership for any period but not exceeding one year and expulsion.