At least five people, including a Congress mandalam president, have been taken into custody from different parts of Kerala as of Friday, May 27, in connection with the CPI(M)’s complaint that an obscene video was being circulated on social media to tarnish the image of Thrikkakara bye-election LDF candidate Dr Jo Joseph. Congress Amayur Mandalam President TK Shukoor and former Youth Congress office bearer Sivadasan are among those taken into custody.
It is learnt that the accused persons had used the aid of a VPN (virtual private network) to post the video via fake social media handles, and then deleted the accounts after it started to be shared widely. “They found a video of a woman and man and portrayed it as if it was a video of the CPI(M) candidate. This is immoral and defamatory,” Industries Minister P Rajeeve had told media persons during a press meet along with CPI(M) State Secretariat Member M Swaraj on Wednesday. The leaders had alleged the involvement of the Congress party in the incident. It was based on a complaint filed by Swaraj before the state police chief and the State Election Commission that a case was registered in this regard.
Responding to the incident on Friday, Dr Jo Joseph — a cardiologist at the Ernakulam Lisie Hospital — said the Congress was answerable for the cyber harassment against him. These attacks have crossed all limits, he said, further pointing out that it was a Congress worker who was taken into custody in connection with the case. He also stated that UDF candidate Uma Thomas has responded in a mature manner to the incident, adding that the competition in Thrikkakara was political alone and not personal.
Uma Thomas, wife of the late Thrikkakara MLA PT Thomas whose demise had necessitated the bye-election, had responded by distancing herself from the video being circulated in the name of Jo Joseph. “Such an act cannot be accepted, no matter who did it. Character assassination is not a tolerable matter,” she said.
On Thursday, Dr Jo’s wife Dr Daya Pascal had also come out in support of her husband, calling the cyber attack against him “cruel”. “Have you noticed Jo ever saying something demeaning against any person or candidate on the opposing side? Is it wrong to expect the same kind of decency from the other end,” Dr Daya had asked.