The CPI(M)-owned daily Deshabhimani has replaced senior journalist K.R. Ajayan with T. Chandramohan for its weekend supplement following the “Kallan Vijayan” headline controversy. This decision came after the newspaper withdrew its July 19 weekend supplement abruptly. The front page of the supplement honored veteran Communist leader V.S. Achuthanandan’s first death anniversary, while the back page featured a profile of theatre artiste Vijayan.
Some editorial leaders at the newspaper were concerned that the headline could be misinterpreted as a reference to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan by political opponents and social media users. Consequently, the printing was stopped, and the supplement was not circulated. The headline actually referred to a theatre artiste known as “Kallan” due to a popular stage role. The editor responsible for the article, T.C. Rajesh, later published it on Facebook and took accountability for the content.
Resident Editor M. Swaraj first cited a technical issue for the publication delay but then issued a show-cause notice to Ajayan for allegedly withholding details of the controversy from the media. Ajayan’s explanation was dismissed, leading to his removal from the weekend supplement editor position. This incident has raised eyebrows as the CPI(M) has historically advocated for freedom of expression and editorial autonomy. The controversy arose internally within the newspaper’s editorial team regarding the potential misinterpretation of the headline.
In the aftermath, the theatre artiste remained unaffected by the controversy, while the editor who defended the headline faced consequences.
