KOCHI: Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan has come under a coordinated cyber assault allegedly orchestrated by supporters of suspended Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil. The online offensive, which has intensified over the past five days, has branded Satheesan with derogatory epithets such as “green Sanghi” and “Pinarayi’s ally,” crossing all limits of political decency.
Adding fuel to the campaign, activist Rahul Easwar shared the mobile phone number of Satheesan’s press secretary on Facebook, urging his followers to call and protest action taken against Mamkootathil.
What has added to the intrigue within the party is the silence of influential Congress youth leader and Vadakara MP Shafi Parambil, who is close to Mamkootathil. His decision to remain on the sidelines has sparked speculation that the campaign against Satheesan may have his tacit approval, said sources.
“Most of the trolling is being done by Rahul’s online fans. Some attacks are clearly from paid handles,” said a senior Congress leader. Another leader pointed out that Satheesan’s firm stand on Mamkootathil’s suspension was backed by almost all senior leaders in the state unit.
“With both local body and assembly polls approaching, the party does not want to waste its energy defending a discredited MLA. The focus should be on cornering the LDF on governance issues,” he said.
Adding fire to Rahul’s supporters was former KPCC president K Sudhakaran’s criticism of Satheesan attending Onam celebrations hosted by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. This gave momentum to the cyber offensive, said sources.
Satheesan, sources said, has made it clear that his stand against Rahul stemmed from conviction. “If Satheesan insists it was conviction, it means he knows more than what others are aware of. He does not want further embarrassment from the Palakkad MLA ahead of crucial elections,” a source added. This cyber warfare marks a departure from the Congress’ traditional factional battles, spilling into an arena where anonymous handles and orchestrated campaigns dominate. Earlier, women leaders who criticised Rahul, as well as those who supported the complainants, were targeted online.