Kerala CM: Social Media Misused to Target Political Opponents
Social media platforms have become a battleground for political rivalries, with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan alleging that these platforms are being misused to target political opponents. The Chief Minister accused the Congress of spending significant amounts of money and using special agencies to influence people through social media and mainstream media.
Vijayan, a senior leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), voiced his concerns a day after a local Congress functionary was arrested for allegedly harassing female family members of CPI(M) leaders online. He emphasized that during the last assembly elections, Congress failed to gain seats, and now they are resorting to spreading fake news and launching targeted insults to tarnish the image of their political opponents.
Speaking at the inauguration of a party building, Vijayan called upon CPI(M) workers to refrain from engaging in personal attacks on social media. Instead, he encouraged them to focus on discussing the development schemes and programs implemented by the state government. Vijayan emphasized the importance of maintaining civility and respectful discourse, without resorting to insults or personal targeting.
The recent incident that triggered Vijayan’s remarks involved the arrest of a 26-year-old Congress youth leader who allegedly shared vulgar images and derogatory comments about the family members of leftist leaders through a Facebook page named ‘Kottayam Kunjachan.’ The Chief Minister highlighted this incident as an example of how social media is being misused and large sums of money are being spent to attack political opponents.
Vijayan mentioned that female family members of Left leaders have become targets of online harassment in a vulgar manner. He expressed concern over this trend and the need to address it. The Chief Minister’s remarks come after complaints were filed by Amrutha Satheesan, wife of CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member A A Rahim, and the wife of late CPI(M) youth leader P Biju, along with another woman leader from the party in Palakkad, regarding online harassment on the same Facebook page.
In response to these incidents, Vijayan urged CPI(M) workers to expose those engaged in online harassment and maintain a focus on discussing genuine issues rather than resorting to personal attacks. Social media, he noted, is a powerful tool that should be used responsibly and respectfully.
It remains to be seen how the political landscape of Kerala will adapt to the increasingly influential role of social media and ensure that it is not exploited for personal or political gains. The challenge lies in striking a balance between the freedom of expression and preventing the misuse of these platforms for targeted attacks on political opponents.
