Two murder accused men who are contesting the zilla panchayat elections have decided to skip legal procedure to obtain the court’s permission to enter their wards. In a move that defeats the purpose of local body elections, they will use social media to reach voters.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) members Karayi Rajan and Karayi Chandrasekharan, often called the Karayi brothers, are accused in the murder of Popular Front of India (PFI) ctivist Mohammed Fazal near Thalassery in Kannur district in October 2006. They have also spent two years in jail in connection with the case.
Rajan is contesting the Kannur zilla panchayat elections while Chandrasekharan is a candidate for the Thalassery municipality.
The Kerala High Court that had earlier granted the brothers permission to file nominations, but asked them to approach the courts for permission to campaign, as they are not allowed to enter the district.
However, instead of approaching the courts for permission they have decided to reach their voters through social media. Campaigning will be limited to posters, social media messaging and phone calls.
Such a campaign would be a difficult one, but the victory of the Karayi brothers without their presence in the district is crucial for the party to regain its image.
An active Facebook user since December 2014, Karayi Rajan has begun his campaign by uploading posters and videos.
“Like other candidates I am not able to directly meet the voters as you all know, we were deported from our land by charging a fake case. We were denied justice. I request you to vote for me as I too love to have a social life in my own place,” Rajan says in a video.
But the older brother Chadrasekharan may find it difficult to manage a social media campaign as he does not yet have a Facebook page.
Support
The Karayi brothers have found support not just from their party, but also from others. Writer T Padmanabhan donated the security deposit for Rajan in the election, although he is a Congress supporter.
Fazal’s brother Abdul Rahman has also told Kairali TV (CPI (M) backed channel) that RSS was behind his brother’s murder not Karayi brothers.
Recently, CPI (M) mouthpiece Deshabhimani newspaper carried an editorial by the Kannur unit’s district secretary P Jayarajan’s defending the Karayi brothers.
“CBI and police equally tried hard to trap CPI(M) in Fazal murder case though they knew RSS was behind it. Karayi brothers are not allowed to enter their own land as a result of this propaganda. The case against them is conspiracy but there are no evidences to support it. After a long legal battle on this injustice, now Karayi brothers are in the court of public. Public should give them the justice,” Jayarajan wrote.
The party’s position on fielding the Karayi brothers is that they are just accused and not culprits. Campaign posters of the brothers read:
“People who were accused in Sikh massacre can become union minister, accused in Gujarat riots became Prime Minister, Minister Arayadan Muhammed who killed an MLA became a minister. The problem is only with Karayi brothers who were not yet proven guilty.”