Geethu, the wife of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate Jaick C Thomas in the Puthuppally bye-election of Kerala, gave a complaint of cyber harassment to the Superintendent of Police (SP), Kottayam on Saturday, September 2. The complaint was against a humiliating video of hers, posted online, in which it was said that Jaick had sent his wife who “claimed” to be pregnant to ask for votes. Geethu, who is nine months pregnant and expecting her delivery in two weeks, said that this was deeply disturbing and caused a lot of mental harassment.
The Puthuppally assembly constituency became vacant after the death of senior Congress leader and two-time Chief Minister Oommen Chandy last month. The Congress named his son Chandy Oommen as the candidate for the United Democratic Front (UDF), the main rival of the CPI(M)-led LDF in the state.
“As far as I understand, it was posted on a pro-Congress platform and even women had made derogatory comments about me. The video was also shared a lot,” Geethu said.
She added that it was not right to make such personal attacks against anyone, and that there was no need to mix politics in it. Only days ago, Achu Oommen, daughter of the late Oommen Chandy, had filed a police complaint against cyber bullying after she was criticised for her expensive clothes and accessories which, the abusers alleged, went against the claim of her brother and UDF candidate Chandy Oommen of having meagre savings.
Geethu, on being asked about the cyber-attack against Achu Oommen, reiterated that all kinds of personal attacks were wrong no matter who it was against. Chandy Oommen too apologised to Geethu for the hurt she went through but maintained that such an attack could not have come from a Congress worker and that it could be someone who posed as one.
Jaick alleged that the personal attacks against him had begun from the time he was named as a candidate. He was called a “fourth rate” person by the Opposition leader, and his late father was also dragged into it, he said. A few days ago, Jaick’s brother Thomas posted about the details regarding their father’s age and the family’s wealth, after he saw many allegations regarding it.
The campaign for the bye-election ends on Sunday, September 3. The election will take place on September 5.