From correspondents in Kerala, India, 12:02 AM IST

While Kerala's Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) secretary Pinarayi Vijayan was Friday held by security personnel at the Chennai airport with five live .38 rifle cartridges in his bag, the ammunition seems to have escaped the eyes of the Thiruvananthapuram airport authorities.

H.K. Dutta, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) commandant at the airport here told IANS that Vijayan was frisked but 'they did not find anything suspicious from him'.

'His hand baggage was screened and we did not find anything. He was not given any concession in security clearance at all because that is given to only people who are listed,' said Dutta.

Vijayan left Thiruvananthapuram for Chennai by a Paramount Airways flight Friday noon. Security officials at Chennai airport detected the live cartridges while scanning his baggage for a Jet Airways flight to Delhi.

He clarified that he had carried the bag with the cartridges 'by mistake'.

The CPI-M leader was on his way to Delhi to attend the CPI-M politburo meeting beginning Saturday.

CISF personnel at Chennai airport let him off after receiving a faxed copy of his rifle license.

Vijayan missed the flight and will leave for Delhi Saturday, Left sources said in Delhi.

Reports indicate that this issue is now going to be discussed at length because questions have been raised from several quarters on why should a leader of a working class party possess a weapon.

Vijayan got the license when the Congress-led United Democratic Front government ruled the state between 2001-06.

Police sources say that a number of political personalities in Kerala possess licensed weapons.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)