DYFI accuses severe cyberbullying against Left women politicians in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the CPI(M), alleged on Thursday that women politicians from Left parties in Kerala were subjected to severe cyberbullying by "an anarchic group" supported by the Congress.

DYFI leader and Rajya Sabha member A A Rahim alleged that senior CPI(M) leader K K Shailaja MLA and Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran were being treated with "extreme indecency" by the supporters of the Congress and the Youth Congress in the cyber world.

"If anyone thinks that women who hold the red flag can be targeted in such an indecent way, you just need to keep that in mind. They are attacked only because they are left wing. They are treated with extreme indecency," Rahim told reporters here.

He said such attacks against women politicians were against the culture of Kerala.

"They think that they can eliminate Left women politicians (Shailaja and Rajendran) through such vicious cyber attacks. We will fight it politically. They (the women) know that they are being attacked for their political ideology," he said.

His statement comes amidst increased criticism in the cyber world against Mayor Rajendran for allegedly engaging in a verbal spat with the driver of a KSRTC bus in Thiruvananthapuram last week after blocking the passenger bus on a main city road.

Rajendran claimed the road was not blocked to stop the KSRTC bus, but CCTV visuals aired by news channels showed her private car parked across the zebra line on the road.

She has said that she spoke to the driver while the bus was stopped at the red signal area to raise her protest against his alleged sexually suggestive gestures towards her and her sister-in-law.

The driver, who was booked in connection with the incident, has refuted the allegations.

Shailaja, the Left candidate from Vadakara Lok Sabha seat, has alleged she faced intense cyber attacks from activists of the Congress-led UDF during the election campaign.

The Congress has not reacted to the allegations.