Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 17: Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan launched a strong attack on the opposition CPI(M) on Wednesday over the controversial ‘Kafir screenshot’ row, alleging that the party had adopted Sangh Parivar-style tactics “to create communal divisions and secure electoral gains”.
His remarks came a day after a local leader of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the CPI(M), was arrested in connection with the case, which had triggered a major political controversy during the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign in Kerala’s Vadakara constituency.
Addressing reporters, Satheesan alleged that a fake screenshot was created ahead of the election to “sow communal divisions” and falsely link it to then UDF candidate and current Lok Sabha MP Shafi Parambil in a bid to defeat him.
“We had maintained from the beginning that we were not behind it. What hypocrisy did the CPI(M) display?” he asked.
The controversy centred around a social media post circulated ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election in Vadakara, which allegedly urged voters not to support CPI(M) candidate K K Shailaja, referring to her as a ‘kafir’ (non-believer).
The CPI(M) had alleged that Congress-led UDF workers and its candidate Shafi Parambil were behind the creation and circulation of the content, while the UDF maintained that local CPI(M) leaders and workers had orchestrated the campaign.
The CM alleged that the CPI(M) had done exactly what the Sangh Parivar does during polls—creating communal divisions for electoral gains.
“The fake campaign was aimed at defeating the UDF and its candidate,” he said.
Satheesan further alleged that the CPI(M)’s role in the controversy had been exposed through the investigation.
The Special Investigation Team on Tuesday arrested Jithin Bhaskar, who allegedly first shared the controversial screenshot in a Left-affiliated WhatsApp group of which he was an administrator, police sources said.
Investigators had earlier found that the screenshot first surfaced in the WhatsApp group administered by Bhaskar before spreading widely to other groups and social media platforms.
The arrest came in the second week of the SIT’s investigation after the newly elected Congress-led UDF government constituted the special team to probe the case.
Bhaskar, who had been questioned earlier in connection with the probe, was summoned again on Tuesday before his arrest was formally recorded, the sources added.
The SIT was constituted following a request by Congress MLA Parakkal Abdulla, who had written to State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala seeking a fresh probe into the matter. (PTI)
