Kozhikode: The police registered a case against an NRI on Thursday for the obscene post against LDF candidate K K Shailaja in Vadakara amid the high-octane poll campaign in Kerala.
The accused is Minhaj Kottente Meethal, Paloli, Thirivode, Naduvannur, Kozhikode, who works in the Middle East. The case was registered for allegedly morphing Shailaja's picture and forwarding it with obscene wordings. The Mattannur police have registered the case slapping charges like incitement of violence based on a complaint filed by KK Shailaja.
An activist of the Indian Union Muslim League was also booked for allegedly making objectionable remarks on social media platforms against Shailaja. T.H Aslam, a member of ward number 3 (Peringdi) of the New Mahe grama panchayat and the Secretary of the IUML panchayat committee, was booked by New Mahe police on March 8 under the sectios IPC 153 and Kerala Police Act 120.
IUML is a key ally in the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). Shailaja is contesting against Congress' Shafi Parambil and the BJP's Praful Krishna.
While the ruling CPM alleged that the objectionable campaign was held with the knowledge of the UDF candidate, the opposition front has rejected the charges.
Perambra police have also registered a case against Salman Valoor, from Perambra, under the sections IPC 153, KPA 120 (o) and Representation of Kerala Police Act 125 based on a complaint filed by Valsalan Panoli, Secretary, LDF, Vadakara Parliament Mandalam Committee. The complaint was that Salman shared edited videos and morphed pictures of KK Shailaja
Allegations of cyber attacks and apprehensions about bogus voting have heated the campaign in Vadakara. The CPM lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against Congress nominee, alleging the cyber attack was being carried out with the knowledge of the candidate and false campaigns were being conducted using morphed photos and edited conversations.
Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly V D Satheesan rubbished the claims and sought to know why the Chief Minister has not acted on a complaint filed on March 25 by the LDF in this regard.
Satheesan also cited the example of various women leaders of the Congress and the UDF who had been subjected to cyberattacks allegedly by the activists of the ruling CPM and the LDF in the past. Although the women MLAs of the UDF, K K Rema and Uma Thomas, came in support of Shailaja, they alleged that there was no response from the Left leadership when they came under cyberattack from the Left supporters.
They said objectionable campaigns against women cannot be accepted at any cost. They also criticised CM Vijayan and the home department for allegedly not taking any stringent action against those responsible for targeting women through the social media.
(With PTI inputs.)
