Thiruvananthapuram: Politicians, particularly those aiming for electoral success, must exercise caution when using social media platforms to criticize their political and ideological adversaries.
P Sarin, CPM-supported independent candidate for Palakkad assembly constituency bypoll, learned this lesson shortly after joining the Left camp. Sarin, who in his capacity as the former IT Cell chief of the Congress, had launched a scathing attack on the CPM and its leaders, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
However, on Monday, Sarin apologised to the party members on his Facebook page for his previous harsh criticisms and for attacking the chief minister. He shared the apology on the social media platform amid reports that the Congress and BJP were widely sharing his anti-CPM posts during the campaign.
In his Facebook post, Sarin stated, "Over the past few days, I have come to realize that many of the political criticisms and actions I undertook within the Congress political framework could have been avoided."
"The recent love and acceptance from my comrades have significantly strengthened this realization. Many of the criticisms were not my personal choices but were instead part of the duties entrusted to me," he said.
Sarin said when political leaders are criticized within the Congress party, typically only their loyalists or group members defend them. “However, when a leader of the Left, particularly Comrade Pinarayi Vijayan, is targeted, I am amazed to see comrades come together as a unified force, forming a solid wall of defense,” he said.
He said the love and support from comrades had empowered him to confidently dismiss any claims that his joining the Left was for power or positions. “My open and transparent public life reinforces my ability to refute such allegations,” he said.
Sarin’s previous posts had become a major source of embarrassment for Left supporters, but with the candidate now publicly apologizing for his "past deeds," they can breathe a sigh of relief, at least for the time being.
