CPM to counter BJP on social media

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the BJP-RSS national leadership launching an intensive campaign against CPM as part of  “Janaraksha” yatra, the  CPM is using the social media platform effectively to counter the Sangh propaganda. CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury’s Facebook page and twitter account are packed with messages against the BJP-RSS propaganda. “CPM stands for uplifting the most backward in India and upholding Indians vibrant pluralism. That makes the BJP most uncomfortable. Kerala’s social development indicators top India surpassing many European countries too. It has never voted to BJP. The two are linked,” he said.

On the nationwide campaign launched by BJP-RSS to protest political killings in Kerala, Mr Yechury sought to put the record straight and even took a dig at Amit Shah citing a saying in Hindi. “Given the track record of RSS attacks in Kerala, Shah’s statement epitomised Hindi saying “ulta chor kotwal ko daante" (thief scolding the cop). The CPM supremo said every single judicial inquiry into communal riots after Independence has indicted RSS and its political arm, first the Jan Sangh and then the BJP.

The CPM Kerala page made fun of Shah’s decision to cancel his yatra to Pinarayi on Thursday. The cancellation of Shah’s yatra to chief minister’s village was interpreted in different ways. Many CPM leaders including party state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the BJP president who was going around the town boasting about his Pinarayi yatra, cancelled the programme out of fear.

Some partymen even took potshots at the Congress for declaring a hartal on October 16 since Shah’s also decided to take a break on that day. The trolls had a field day on Wednesday targeting Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath for asking Kerala to learn from hospitals in his state. With the horrendous incident of children dying in Gorakhpur hospital without oxygen still fresh in the memory of everyone here, the Yogi came under attack not just from CPM but also the common Malayalee.

From the reaction on social media it was more than evident that people didn’t take his remarks kindly. Comparative figures of socio-economic-health indicators of the two states were posted to indicate the huge disparity. Even on the controversial statement on Jihad, the CPM fellow travellers  came out with list of RSS-BJP leaders and their children who have married from different religions. Are they all Love jihad victims? they asked.