Veteran CPI leader Chitaranjan passes away

Thiruvananthapuram, June 14: Veteran Communist Party of India leader and former Kerala Minister J Chitharanjan died here late last night.

He was 81. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. Born in 1927 at Kollam, he entered politics at a young age and became a member of the Communist party in 1944. He had served as the General Secretary and Vice-President of the AITUC and was a member of the CPI National Council. Mr Chitharanjan was also a Rajya Sabha member. He was elected to the Kerala Assembly thrice and was Health Minister for a short period from 1987 to 1988.

The cremation would take place in the evening, family sources said.

UNI