The issue did not get dropped, however. In October 1965, after being released from jail, a party worker filed a formal complaint with the leadership about Achuthanandan’s anti-party activities. A probe panel was formed, which found Achuthanandan guilty. In December that year, the Kerala committee ratified the findings of the panel: that Achuthanandan’s approach was anti-communist, and he should be demoted from the central committee to the branch level. Subsequently, Achuthanandan was sent to the Alappuzha district secretariat, where he spent a year.

Senior Kerala CPM leader M M Lawrance said, “Achuthanandan decided to donate blood and ration for the army without consulting the party. His move amounted to helping the government which then tried to wreck the communist party. Hence, that action was anti-party.”

Achuthanandan’s rebellious streak kept surfacing even afterward.

In 1990, some CPM activists abducted two councillors of the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation, and the then general secretary Namboodiripad asked Achuthanandan, then Kerala state secretary, to “settle the issue”. But for five days, Achuthanandan did nothing. Later, after consulting with chief minister E K Nayanar, a judicial probe was ordered. The CPM central leadership asked the entire state secretariat to come to Delhi, where Achuthanandan was censured.