Newspaper ad against Sandeep Varier; CPM’s last-ditch attempt to woo minority votes

Palakkad: As the Palakkad by-election campaign nears its final stages, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has launched a newspaper advertisement targeting the UDF, with a particular focus on Sandeep Varier. The advertisement, titled Sarin Tharangam (Sarin Wave), highlights Sandeep Varier’s shift from the BJP to Congress and his previous RSS connections.

The ad features old statements and Facebook posts made by Sandeep Varier. Interestingly, the advertisement has appeared in Siraj (the mouthpiece of the Sunni Kanthapuram group) and Suprabhatam, which is controlled by Samastha. Notably, the ad has not been published in Desabhimani, the official publication of the CPI(M).

The ad includes Sandeep's old Facebook posts related to the Kashmir issue and features an image of him in an RSS uniform. Among the issues mentioned are posts advocating for the mass killing of Kashmiris, comments suggesting that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) would be implemented in Kerala, and references to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. The ad also includes provocative headlines such as "Can anybody accept this venomous tongue?" and "Oh, it’s unfortunate," further attacking Sandeep.

The advertisement criticizes Congress, accusing them of sidelining a secular leader like Sarin while endorsing a sectarian ideology by embracing someone like Sandeep Varier. Sponsored by the CPI(M), the ad is seen as the LDF’s desperate attempt to woo minority voters ahead of the election.