Thiruvananthapuram: In an attempt to save the face of the CPM in connection with the ‘kafir screenshot’ controversy, state secretary MV Govindan has defended the party by alleging that the UDF engaged in a personal vilification campaign in Vadakara against LDF candidate KK Shailaja. Speaking to reporters after the state committee meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, Govindan claimed that from the outset, the UDF’s attempt was to portray KK Shailaja as anti-Muslim.

“The campaign of UDF candidate Shafi Parambil began with a personal attack against KK Shailaja, as he ridiculed the name ‘Teacher Amma,’ which was affectionately used by the people of Kerala to describe Shailaja. This was a declaration of their intention, which became clearer in the later stages of the campaign,” Govindan said.

“UDF’s main point of campaign was that Shailaja was anti-Muslim.  They had widely said that she had said that all Muslims are extremists. In another ill-motivated campaign, the UDF shared fake news claiming that she had said that the ‘Prophet’ propagated a wrong way of living. The UDF also widely circulated claims that Shailaja endorses the RSS's stance on ‘love jihad,’” Govindan said. He also alleged that another campaign against her involved fabricating a letter pad of Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliar.

“CPM discussed and analyzed the controversy regarding the ‘kafir’ screenshot,” Govindan said. “During the campaign, certain trends appeared on social media that we had not seen before. This was done with the support of the UDF. The sleazy campaign against KK Shailaja should be analyzed in detail. A particular culture, which surfaced as part of the UDF's unethical election tactics in Vadakara, led to this hate campaign. All these dirty operations on the ground were carried out by some league workers from New Mahe,” Govindan alleged.

“It is of utmost importance in a democracy that the fake campaigns unleashed on social media be exposed to the public. It was the LDF that lodged a complaint about the ‘kafir’ reference. The police should conduct a proper investigation and bring the real culprits to justice. Let the police investigate and complete their work. Then, the source of the screenshot will be unearthed,” he said.

Meanwhile, Govindan has justified former MLA KK Lathika, who shared the screenshot on her Facebook page. “She shared the screenshot to warn society about the dangers hidden in such ill-motivated campaign tactics,” he said. While rejecting KK Shailaja's stance on this incident, Govindan stated that it is the party’s stand that matters, not the opinion of individual members. This is interpreted in political circles as a denouncement of KK Shailaja on this issue.

Govindan also denounced pro-CPM cyber groups, stating that many WhatsApp groups and Facebook pages are operating under the name of CPM without the party’s consent. “Porali Shaji” is one such group. “I have no information regarding whether there is a Porali or Shaji. Is Porali Shaji the real left? These groups have no official connection with the party,” Govindan said.