Alappuzha (Kerala), April 4 (IANS) With days to go for the Kerala Assembly elections, the Congress has escalated its attack against the CPI-M-backed Kairali News TV channel, accusing it of circulating a morphed and defamatory image of party General Secretary and MP K.C. Venugopal in a bid to mislead voters.

Congress Legal Cell chairman Dr Abhishek Singhvi has lodged a formal complaint before the Election Commission, alleging that the image was digitally manipulated to falsely suggest that Venugopal was accepting money.

The complaint further states that a green circle was deliberately inserted in the visual to reinforce the misleading narrative and influence public perception.

Describing the episode as a “planned attempt” to tarnish Venugopal’s image ahead of polling, the Congress has argued that the circulation of such content violates the Model Code of Conduct and undermines the integrity of the electoral process.

Singhvi has sought the Commission’s urgent intervention, calling for an immediate probe into the incident and strict action against those responsible.

The complaint also demands that the doctored image be taken down from all social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook and X, where it is alleged to have been widely shared in a coordinated manner.

Parallelly, Congress state Vice President A.A. Shukoor has approached the Alappuzha North police, seeking criminal action against the channel and its officials.

The complaint invokes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including charges related to forgery, spreading enmity and criminal conspiracy, along with Section 66 of the Information Technology Act.

Shukkur said the incident reflects a broader pattern of attempts to derail the democratic process through misinformation and targeted character assassination of opposition leaders.

He asserted that the Congress would pursue the matter legally and politically, signalling a sharper contest as campaigning enters its final stretch.

Kerala goes to the polls on April 9 to elect 140 new legislators

–IANS

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