The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has made a political issue out of the vilifying attacks on social media on late Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s family, particularly his daughter Achu Oommen.
It also did not help the government that some of those accused of disparaging Ms. Oommen chanced to be members or former members of LDF-aligned State employees’ associations.
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said the CPI(M)’s troll farms targeted Ms. Oommen for campaigning for her brother Chandy Oommen, the Congress candidate in the Puthuppally Assembly byelection. He said it was an extension of the political witch-hunt Mr. Chandy suffered during his twilight days.
He alleged that the government had granted a tenure extension to a pro-LDF retired government Secretariat employee in the IHRD as a gift for slandering Ms. Oommen on social media. Mr. Satheesan demanded Mr. Vijayan to dismiss the “disparager” and prosecute him for outraging the modesty of a women and defamation under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the IT Act.
