Thiruvananthapuram, April 3 (IANS) The political row over an alleged communal campaign in Perambra widened on Friday, with Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan accusing the CPI-M of deploying a “repeat strategy” to polarise voters, drawing parallels with the controversial ‘kafir screenshot’ episode in Vadakara during the Lok Sabha elections.

Satheesan alleged that the campaign targeting UDF candidate Fathima Thahliya was not an isolated incident but part of a calculated attempt by the ruling front to engineer communal divisions.

He claimed that similar tactics were used earlier with the knowledge of senior CPI-M leaders, but investigations failed to fix accountability despite what he described as “clear evidence”.

The Opposition leader also took aim at the state police, alleging that the previous case related to the ‘kafir screenshot’ was closed citing an inability to identify the accused, even though CPI-M and DYFI functionaries were under suspicion.

This, he suggested, pointed to a systemic reluctance to pursue cases with political ramifications.

Framing the controversy within the larger electoral context, Satheesan said the CPI-M was resorting to “desperate measures” in the face of mounting anti-incumbency against the Pinarayi Vijayan government.

He accused the ruling party of attempting to stoke religious sentiments and create polarisation as a means to deflect public anger over governance issues.

“Trying to divide society along communal lines will not help the CPI-M escape the growing public resentment,” he said, adding that there was a broad-based sentiment across Kerala to unseat what he termed an anti-people government.

Satheesan called on the Election Commission to intervene decisively, urging immediate and stringent action against those responsible for the alleged campaign.

He warned that failure to act firmly could embolden further attempts to inject communal narratives into the electoral discourse.

With the Perambra controversy already triggering sharp exchanges between the LDF and UDF, Satheesan’s intervention is likely to intensify the political heat, turning the issue into a key flashpoint in the run-up to the polls.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has issued notices to both Ramakrishnan — the Left candidate — and Fathima Thahliya. Kerala goes to the polls on April 9 to elect 140 new legislators.

–IANS

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