THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : With just nine days left for the Lok Sabha polls, campaigning hit a new low with a vicious cyber lynching of K K Shailaja, senior CPM leader and LDF candidate in Vadakara.
The political slander targeting the ex-minister, defying the code of political decorum, has invited a strong response from the Left front.
The cyber attacks with her morphed photos and videos and edited conversations left the woman leader visibly disturbed, as was evident when she interacted with the media and voters on Monday.
Shailaja filed a complaint with the Election Commission against her UDF rival Shafi Parambil over the cyber attacks.
Fake videos and photos are doing the round terming her ‘Abhisarika’ (prostitute) and ‘Poothana’ .
The UDF candidate and his workers are conducting a massive campaign on social media to defame her, she said. Attempts are also being made to wrongly influence the Muslim voters, she alleged.
As per the complaint, UDF workers propagated a fake message in the name of religious scholar A P Aboobacker Musaliar terming her “bombamma” (mother of bombs).
In another fake message in the name of Mathrubhumi Online, a comment on Love Jihad was made. The complainant or Mathrubhumi Online had never made such a statement, and the messages were spread by fake social media handles to create division and misunderstanding among voters, the complaint said, adding, some portions from a channel interview were extracted and spread to portray her as anti-Muslim.
CPM lambasts UDF over cyber attacks on Shailaja
A Facebook page named “Ente Vadakara KL 18” has been conducting a false campaign to defame her. A social media group “Troll Reporter TR” published an obscene fake picture with morphed images of the chief minister and her. She was termed a demoness and other obscene names in these fake posters and videos. The perpetrators of the fake campaign were deliberately portraying her in bad light, while highlightimg certain statements by the UDF candidate to negatively influence the voters.
The UDF candidate and his accomplices conspired to launch such a malicious campaign against her using fake messages and pictures, the complaint alleged.
Meanwhile the CPM leadership came down heavily on the UDF for the cyber attacks.
“The shameful sexist language used against Shailaja teacher by the Congress candidates’ social media team is highly condemnable. It is an insult to the women of Kerala. The Congress in its desperation is resorting to such filthy language against a most respected leader,” said CPM Politburo member Brinda Karat. Cyber attacks against Shailaja won’t happen without the knowledge of the UDF candidate and leadership, said CPM state secretary MV Govindan. He demanded that the UDF leadership should intervene to put an end to the cyber attacks.