Alappuzha: The controversies surrounding the CPM's Alappuzha district unit has taken a new turn as a post from the party's Kayamkulam MLA U Prathibha's Facebook handle triggered another row.
The CPM's district leadership expressed unhappiness over the post even as Prathibha, who is seeking re-election from Kayamkulam said her account had been hacked.
CPM Alappuzha district committee secretary R Nazar said there was a standing instruction in the party against unnecessary posts. He expressed ignorance over the MLA’s intentions behind the posts.
A post on the MLA’s Facebook page on Tuesday night triggered the controversy. The post was a Malayalam pithy saying, roughly translated as God will take vengeance on cheats.
The proverb posted without any further explanation, sparked a flurry of comments, most of them linking the post to the intra-party issues in the district. The CPM in Alappuzha has been witnessing a power struggle, with a section trying to wrest supremacy from party strongman and Minister G Sudhakaran.
The MLA had said earlier that her Facebook account was hacked. Her office clarified that a complaint had been lodged with the district police chief G Jayadev, who said he was informed of the complaint over the phone.
On Wednesday, however, another post appeared on the ‘hacked’ page, poking fun at critics and blaming the Youth Congress and the media. The post reiterated that the Facebook account was hacked.
Incidentally, CPM sympathizers, too, had responded against the first post, but the second explanatory one garnered much support. After withdrawing both the posts, Prathibha offered yet another explanation on Facebook.
“It has come to my notice that defamatory content is posted on my Facebook page after hijacking [sic] my account. Immediate steps should be initiated to block my Facebook page and to bring to book those who tried to defame,” she said, before making a detailed post.
The post also invited several comments, with some users wondering if it was about G Sudhakaran or K T Jaleel, who had to resign after adverse comments by the Lok Ayukta. The MLA retorted, saying the names of two efficient and clean ministers have been dragged into controversies.
