IN a letter written to the editor of Malayala Manorama on March 8, 2014, Hannan Mollah, former Lok Sabha member and a member of the CPI(M), took strong exception to a news story published by the said paper regarding the candidature of Uluberia Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal. The text of the letter is reproduced here. “This is to invite your attention to the report appeared in the Malayala Manorama  daily dated March 6, 2014 regarding the candidature of Uluberia Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal, which I represented for eight terms. “The Malayala Manorama reported that this time the CPI(M) had fielded my son, Sabiruddin Mollah, as a candidate in the Uluberia LS constituency.  This is false, malicious and intentional propaganda against our party.  I am not even distantly related to the candidate who is one of our youth leaders of the district. This report amounts to character assassination of politicians like us. We do not groom our wards for getting prize post in politics. If they are capable, they can come on their own. We are not like bourgeois parties to push our family people for any position.   “Therefore, I would request you to apologise for such mischievous reporting and publish this prominently in your paper.”