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The use of cyberspace for bullying and harassing public figures, including women politicians contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, appeared to dominate the campaign narrative in Kerala on April 17 (Wednesday).
For one, it has caused the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and United Democratic Front (UDF) campaigns to square off against each other more vehemently in the key Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency where the CPI(M) candidate and former Health Minister K.K. Shailaja is locked in a high-stakes battle with Congress legislator Shafi Parambil.
The spirited row erupted on April 16 when Ms. Shailaja revealed, somewhat emotionally, that she was a victim of online harassment and humiliation allegedly unleashed by UDF sympathisers championing her rival, Mr. Parambil.
Ms. Shailaja claimed that “UDF hacks had used morphed images spliced with salacious content” to dehumanise her in front of her constituents and the world.
Moreover, she said, the “slanderers” transmitted the mockingly salacious photos across social media groups in Vadakara where they continued to “sprout like invasive digital weeds, burying her political messaging.”
Ms. Shailaja said she had alerted the police in late March to no avail. “I have never felt so hurt and demeaned. I request good minds in the UDF to stop this hurtful calumny”, she said.
The CPI(M) extensively used Ms. Shailaja’s impassioned appeal to spare her from online harassment, in a viral clipping on social media, to turn the tables on the UDF in Vadakara.
CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan told reporters in Alappuzha that Ms. Shailaja’s victimisation at the hands of the UDF had resonated among voters, particularly families, in Vadakara.
He said the wave of empathy for Ms. Shailaja has turned into voter’s ire against the UDF for resorting to such “underhand tactics”.
Consolingly for the LDF, Ms. Shailaja also seemed to find some political bipartisan support from the Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) leader and Congress ally, K.K. Rema, MLA, with specific riders.
Ms. Rema condemned the cyberattack on Ms. Shailaja by “faceless cyber entities”. Ms. Rema said she was also a victim of such online character assassination.
However, Ms. Rema said, the CPI(M) had, for political expediency, misleadingly tied the offence to Mr. Parambil with no proof to show.
“The UDF will not allow the LDF to divert the cyberattack issue for political point-scoring”, she added.
Congress legislator Uma Thomas also condemned the online vilification of Ms. Shailaja but distanced the UDF from the offence.
Meanwhile, the UDF scrambled to save its campaign from the CPI(M)‘s attempt to stir outrage against Mr. Parambil.
A lie bomb: Satheesan
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan accused Ms. Shailaja of exploding a “lie bomb” to play the victim in front of voters in Vadakara. He said Ms. Shailaja had donned the role of an “injured party” to save her flailing campaign.
“Ms. Shailaja wanted to divert public attention from the tough questions she faced on the campaign trail, including corruption in the purchase of COVID-19 kits and also obfuscating pandemic causality figures to claim false credit for mitigating the outbreak. So she has resorted to political theatre”, he said.
Mr. Satheesan said the UDF, unlike the CPI(M), had no “troll farms or cyberbullies” to harass and hound political rivals.
He said Ms. Shailaja should blame the State police and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for not promptly acting on her complaint.
‘IUML man’ arrested
Mr. Satheesan alleged that Ms. Shailaja had felt no pain when CPI(M) “cyber hacks” attacked Ms. Rema, Ms. Thomas, Remya Haridas, MP, and other women UDF leaders. “She has not uttered a word against those trespasses on the personal dignity of UDF leaders and remained a silent enabler”, he said.
Meanwhile, the State police arrested a purported Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) supporter from New Mahe in connection with Ms. Shailaja’s complaint.
