Ugly cyber attacks against Shailaja put Congress on defensive in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: The high-voltage electioneering at Vadakara constituency in north Kerala has taken an ugly turn with sexiest cyber attacks against Kerala former health minister K K Shailaja, who is the left-front candidate.

The police have booked a youth activist of Congress's coalition partner Indian Union Muslim League in connection with the cyber attack. Shailaja also lodged a petition with the Election Commission against her opponent Shafi Parambil of Congress.

Shailaja, who had received international acclaim for boldly leading Kerala's fight against Covid-19 and NIPAH while serving as health minister, had turned emotional at a press conference held to condemn the cyber attack.

The Congress, which is on the defensive, is trying to counter it as a 'lie bomb' of the CPM to cover up the embarrassment over their 'bomb culture' of the CPM by referring to the recent blast at a country bomb unit at Kannur in which one activist of CPM's youth feeder outfit DYFI was killed and others involved in the bomb making were injured.

CPM alleges that morphed images to sexiest remarks against Shailaja were being spread on social media and most of them originated from pro-Congress groups.

"It is the first time in my life that I am facing such a cyber attack. Even my morphed pictures are being spread and some portions of my conversations are being taken out of context for unleashing misleading campaigns. All these would not happen without the knowledge of the Congress candidate," Shailaja said.

Vadakara constituency that comprises parts of Kozhikode and Kannur district, is witnessing a strong fight between Shailaja and Parambil, both sitting MLAs.

CPM considers it as a prestigious battle as party citadel like Kuthuparamba and Thalassery are part of the constituency. The brutal murder of CPM dissident leader T P Chandrasekhar in 2012 is a key issue being raised by the Congress against the CPM.