KOZHIKODE: Congress leaders in Keralam were bewildered when they came across a post on the state unit’s official X account early last month criticising the Chief Justice of India.
Red-faced party bosses immediately asked the social-media wing to delete the comment on the chief justice of India (CJI). While referring to protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commission Gyanesh Kumar, the CJI had earlier observed that law and order does not fall within his domain.
The KPCC leadership tendered an unconditional apology before the Supreme Court, which initiated contempt proceedings against the party and took action against its person in charge of social media.
It was just one of several incidents where overzealous cyber troopers based in Keralam have become an embarrassment for political parties and organisations.
They are the selfless (sometimes faceless) members who spend their time and energy almost 24 hours a day to defend their organisations and mount attacks on their rivals through online channels. All political parties have utilised the services of cyber warriors at one point or the other. And this places parties at risk of occasional reckless interventions.
Senior CPM leaders, including former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and state secretary M V Govindan, were forced to intervene to rein in party sympathisers who targeted actor Mammootty.
On October 28, leaders of the party’s youth fronts, the DYFI and the SFI, called on the actor and released photos and videos of the visit on Facebook. Pro-CPM cyber handles were unhappy with the DYFI leadership for posing for pictures with someone who, according to them, insulted the party’s Wayanad district secretary K Rafeeq.
They recalled how Mammootty ‘offended’ Rafeeq during the former’s visit to houses constructed for Wayand landslide victims in March 2026.
The cyber attacks subsided after the CPM leader himself clarified that the issue with Mammootty had been resolved the same day and that the controversy was unnecessary.
On Sunday, the actor was targeted again following a visit to the residence of B Gopala-krishnan in connection with the marriage of BJP state vice president’s daughter.
‘Ordinary cadre go public due to lack of forum to express opinion’
The next day, CPM central committee member T M Thomas Isaac expressed the party’s strong disagreement over the repeated attacks on Mammootty by ‘CPM cyber activists’. Mammootty is a sympathiser of progressive movements and the party wants to maintain the relationship, he said.
CPM state secretariat member P Jayarajan faced similar issues some years back from supporters who believed he was being sidelined in the party. Jayarajan distanced himself from the overenthusiastic backers who almost converted him into a cult figure. The Kannur strongman maintained that posts on the ‘PJ Army’ Facebook page did not have his consent or approval.
Even religious organisations are not free from the ‘threat’ of digital soldiers. Jamaat-e-Islami’s Kerala amir P Mujeeb Rehman was recently forced to exhort cadres to maintain decorum in social-media interventions.
In a video released last week, he said etiquette followed in everyday activities should be followed in online interventions as well.
Author and lyricist Nasarudheen Mannarkkad, who has been active on social media for more than a decade, believes that ordinary cadre intervene publicly when they find no forums to express their opinion.
“Their genuine criticisms and corrections help parties maintain the democratic character of organisations. But they become a headache when the criticism crosses the borders of decency. It is a real challenge to keep intact the morale of cadres while imposing curbs on their wayward behaviour,” he said.
