Palakkad: CPI(M) puts out provocative ad about UDF’s Sandeep Varier

Political tension in Palakkad escalated on Tuesday, 19 November, as the CPI(M) published a provocative newspaper advertisement targeting the United Democratic Front (UDF), with a particular focus on Sandeep Varier. Titled ‘Sarin Tharangam (Sarin Wave)’, the ad highlights Varier’s shift from the BJP to the Congress as well as his past connections with the RSS.

The by-poll in Palakkad was necessitated by Shafi Parambil's resignation after his election to the Lok Sabha from Vadakkara.

The CPI(M) published the controversial ad in two newspapers linked to prominent Sunni factions. The advertisement, which includes old statements and Facebook posts of Varier's, appeared in Siraj, the mouthpiece of the Sunni Kanthapuram group, and Suprabhatam, associated with the Samastha community.

Notably, the ad was not published in Desabhimani, the official publication of the CPI(M).

The ad seems aimed specifically at Sandeep Varier, who recently joined the Congress, and includes screenshots of his social media posts during his BJP tenure.

One portion of the ad reads: ‘The communal propaganda endorsed by Sandeep Varier on social media and channels was frightening. His posts rivalled even Sasikala (Hindu Aikyavedi leader) in terms of anti-minority views. Congress has taken in this pot of communal poison while expelling P. Sarin, a truly secular person.’

The ad’s alleged communal tone, clearly aimed at a specific community, has sparked sharp reactions. Varier himself accused the CPI(M) of publishing the ad with BJP funding.

Palakkad Congress candidate Rahul Mamkootathil dismissed the CPI(M)’s tactics, suggesting that the party was underestimating the political awareness of the community if it thought such statements could provoke them.

The timing of the advertisement, published just ahead of the Palakkad by-poll, has stirred further political controversy.

In response, the Palakkad district administration has requested a report from the public relations department (PRD) on whether its media certification and monitoring committee approved the ad. Election officials have confirmed that the PRD has been asked to investigate.

The ad features screenshots of Sandeep Varier’s old Facebook posts, including controversial remarks about the Kashmir issue, as well as an image of him in an RSS uniform.

Among the other posts highlighted are those that reportedly advocated the mass killing of Kashmiris, comments suggesting that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) would be implemented in Kerala and references to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination.

The ad also includes provocative captions such as “Can anybody accept this venomous tongue?” and “Oh, it’s unfortunate”.

The Congress is accused of sidelining a secular leader like Sarin while endorsing sectarian ideology by embracing someone like Varier. The ad is seen as the LDF’s attempt to appeal to minority voters ahead of the election.

LDF leaders, however, defended the advertisement.

Local self-government minister M.B. Rajesh argued, “During the election, advertisements were given to all dailies. I don’t understand why ads published in two papers should be a problem.”

CPI(M) leader A.K. Balan also justified the ad, claiming that Varier remained affiliated with the RSS, even after joining the Congress, which he called condemnable.

The CPI(M) has also found itself at the centre of the controversy, with chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan facing criticism for his comments about Muslim League state president Syed Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal. At a rally, Vijayan had referred to him as a follower of the Jamaat-e-Islami, accusing him of deviating from the legacy of the Panakkad family.

The advertisement targeting Varier, which included social media posts and newspaper cuttings about Varier, has drawn strong reactions from Congress. The party has accused the CPI(M) of attempting to stoke communal tensions, drawing comparisons with the 'kafir' screenshot controversy during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Vadakara.

District election officials have taken note of the controversy and are investigating whether the advertisement violated any Election Commission rules. They have asked for clarifications from the newspapers involved and plan to convene a meeting of the media monitoring committee after the polling.

The CPI(M), however, dismissed the controversy, asserting that the advertisement adhered to all existing regulations.

Minister M.B. Rajesh defended the party’s actions, stating, “We published the advertisement after obtaining proper permissions. We gave the ad to four newspapers. So why is Congress targeting just two newspapers? Why are they labelling newspapers by religion?”

He further challenged the Congress to file a formal complaint with the Election Commission if they had any grievances.

Rajesh also accused Congress MP Shafi Parambil of promoting communalism, saying, “Shafi is deliberately communalising the issue. Only someone with a communal mindset would label a newspaper by religion.”

CPI(M) Palakkad district secretary E.N. Suresh Babu downplayed the row, claiming that any ‘technical errors’ in the advertisement did not justify the allegations against the party. “The controversy is unwarranted. Even if a technical error occurred, it doesn’t justify such allegations,” he said.

The key contenders in Palakkad include the UDF’s Rahul Mamkootathil, LDF-backed independent Dr P. Sarin and the BJP’s C. Krishnakumar. A total of 183 polling booths have been set up in the constituency, with the distribution of polling materials completed at Victoria College, Palakkad.

The by-poll has also been marked by controversies, including allegations of double voting, black money and party switching.

The CPI(M) filed a formal complaint with district collector Dr S. Chithra, alleging over 2,700 instances of double voting. While Rahul Mamkootathil emphasised that the UDF was the first to raise concerns about voter fraud, the BJP accused the UDF of engineering double votes with government support.