Kerala CM says mainstream media boycotting Left, lauds social media handles for defending party

PTI, Apr 21, 2024, 7:46 AM IST

With less than a week to go for the Lok Sabha polls in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday alleged that the mainstream media was boycotting the CPI(M)-led front while exaggerating and celebrating the ”lies” against the Left.

Praising the Left social media handles for ”effectively exposing falsehoods”, Vijayan called for their ”vigilant involvement” in putting an end to ”any media monopoly and organised propaganda”.

Lok Sabha polls in all 20 seats of Kerala will be held on April 26.

In a detailed post on Facebook, the Left leader alleged that most of the mainstream media was concealing the Left party’s stand on crucial national issues but were enthusiastic in giving ”front-page” coverage to cheap accusations from the right-wing.

”The mainstream media refuses to publish news which is favourable to the Left Democratic Front and instead celebrates the lies against it. Even minor incidents are exaggerated and sensationalised. Furthermore, cheap accusations from the right-wing gain front-page coverage in some major media outlets,” Vijayan said in his strongly worded statement.

He said these media outlets overlook the press conferences of the Left leaders and fail to address the core national issues raised in their speeches.

”Free and fair elections serve as the cornerstone of democracy. However, right-wing media is unilaterally fabricating news and analysis, thereby infringing upon people’s freedom to participate in fair elections. They are effectively boycotting the LDF,” Vijayan alleged.

The senior leader of the CPI(M) said the Left’s stance on crucial national issues was being concealed from the public and called for an alternative media ethos.

He said the mainstream media has turned into a means to destroy the Left by distorting news and using surveys as false narratives.

Vijayan said the voice of the Left was brought to the masses by a determined initiative of thousands of individual social media handles by resisting falsehood against the communist party.

”A large community, including individuals, groups, and those who are apparently not even aligned with the left, also including those from the media sector, are engaging on social media to respond appropriately to expose falsehoods,” he said.

The chief minister also claimed that in the last Assembly elections, a section of the media launched a witch-hunt against the Left but the people gave a befitting reply by ensuring a resounding victory of the communists.

He praised the cyber ”kadannalukal” (roughly translated as hornets), a name given to Left cyber handles on social media, and said unidentified Keralites from across the world have raised their voice against the right-wing propaganda and to defend the communist ideology without violating the boundaries of decency.

Vijayan said the social media handles have done ”a historic duty” of safeguarding the essence of democracy by ”putting an end to any media monopoly” and organised propaganda.

He also encouraged everyone to join the effort and engage in the process of supporting the alternative media culture with heightened vigilance.