Less than a week ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan accused the mainstream media of boycotting the CPI(M)-led front while amplifying and glorifying "lies" against the Left.
Vijayan commended Left social media platforms for "effectively debunking falsehoods" and urged for their "active participation" in countering "any media monopoly and coordinated propaganda."
In a detailed Facebook post, Vijayan alleged that most mainstream media outlets were burying the Left party's positions on critical national issues while eagerly spotlighting "baseless allegations" from the right-wing.
"The mainstream media refuses to disseminate news favourable to the Left Democratic Front and instead glorifies falsehoods against it. Even minor incidents are blown out of proportion and sensationalised. Moreover, baseless allegations from the right-wing receive prime coverage in certain major media platforms," Vijayan asserted.
He criticised these outlets for overlooking press conferences by Left leaders and neglecting the key national issues addressed in their speeches.
"Free and fair elections are fundamental to democracy. However, right-wing media is unilaterally manufacturing news and analysis, infringing upon people's right to participate in fair elections. They are effectively blackballing the LDF," Vijayan claimed.
The senior CPI(M) leader contended that the Left's positions on crucial national matters were being concealed from the public and called for a different media ethos.
He argued that mainstream media had become a tool to undermine the Left by distorting news and using surveys to create false narratives.
Vijayan credited the dissemination of the Left's voice to the masses to a determined effort by thousands of individual social media accounts resisting falsehoods against the Communist Party.
"A significant community, comprising individuals, groups, and even those ostensibly unaligned with the Left, including members from the media industry, are actively using social media to counter falsehoods," he noted.
The chief minister asserted that during the last Assembly elections, a segment of the media had launched a smear campaign against the Left, but the people responded with a resounding victory for the Communists.
He lauded the cyber "kadannalukal" (roughly translated as hornets), a term used for Left cyber handles on social media, stating that unidentified Keralites worldwide had spoken out against right-wing propaganda and defended Communist ideology while maintaining decorum.
Vijayan hailed the social media accounts for "fulfilling a historic duty" of safeguarding democracy's essence by "ending any media monopoly" and organised propaganda.
He urged everyone to join in and support the alternative media culture with increased vigilance.
Scheduled for April 26, Lok Sabha polls will cover all 20 seats in Kerala.
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