Kochi: Kerala Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan on Saturday launched a scathing, high-decibel attack on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, accusing his government of unleashing “police raj” after the arrest and questioning of senior Congress leader N. Subramanian in the controversial AI-generated image case.

The image, which allegedly showed Vijayan alongside Sabarimala gold heist prime accused Unnikrishnan Potti, triggered swift police action—something Satheesan said exposed the ruling CPM’s “authoritarian mindset”.

“This is not Stalin’s Russia or Idi Amin’s Uganda. This is democratic Kerala,” Satheesan thundered, slamming the early-morning police action against Subramanian as the behaviour of an “autocratic ruler” determined to silence dissent.

Satheesan argued that visuals of Vijayan meeting Potti had already been aired by mainstream media, questioning how circulating such material suddenly became a law-and-order threat.

He alleged the police move was nothing but political vendetta, especially after CPM’s alleged misinformation campaign targeting Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Accusing the government of blatant double standards, Satheesan said opposition leaders were being hauled up overnight for social media posts, while repeated complaints against CPM’s cyber machinery were conveniently ignored.

“The CPM has mastered abuse through AI,” he said, pointing to an AI-generated video that falsely portrayed Congress leaders dancing. “Will the police arrest those behind that?” he asked, daring the government to act.

The Congress leader further alleged that CPM-linked social media handles had unleashed “sexually coloured” and deeply personal attacks against women journalists, opposition leaders and even their families, with zero police intervention.

Taking a direct swipe at Chief Minister Vijayan, Satheesan claimed convicted CPM leaders involved in serious crimes—including bomb attacks on police—were treated with kid gloves, while “law-abiding citizens are dragged from their homes at night”.

He also raised allegations of corruption in the parole system and accused the government of shielding criminals, drug mafias and those linked to the Sabarimala gold smuggling case.

Dismissing claims that the AI image could incite unrest, Satheesan called the argument “absurd” and warned that intimidation tactics would only strengthen the Opposition.

“The Congress and the UDF will not retreat. If this continues, you will have to arrest all of us,” he declared, issuing a sharp warning ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

Satheesan concluded by asserting that public anger against the Vijayan government was growing rapidly and that the ruling front would face a “much stronger verdict” from the people in 2026.