KOZHIKODE: Writer MN Karassery became the latest person to be attacked on social media for opposing the LDF's government SilverLine project with a section using a purported photo of him travelling in a high-speed train during a visit to Germany to criticize his 'double standards'.
Many people, apparently affiliated to the Left, had widely shared this photo with some resorting to personal attacks against the writer on social media.
Meanwhile, Karassery said he is not perturbed by the rude comments on social media. He said that those who are resorting to personal attacks are doing so because they do not have replies to the pertinent questions raised about the impact and implications of the project. "I didn't resort to personal criticism but only posed questions about the social and environmental impact of K-Rail project. Is the photo of my train journey in Germany all they have as a response to the serious questions I raised, including the fate of around 50,000 families who will possibly have to be evicted for the project?" he asked.
Some of his students and friends said that his journey in Germany, while on an academic visit to various universities in 2016, was not on a high-speed train as wrongly claimed on social media. They added that even if he had travelled in a high-speed train, he still has the right to say that such a project need not be implemented because of social and environmental concerns.
"They can continue to say whatever they want on social media. I will only laugh at it. My request to them is to provide answers to the points raised by people including scientists, experts and persons associated with the Left on the social, economic and environmental impact of the project," he added.
Meanwhile Congress leader VD Satheesan said that CPM cyber goons are now attacking all poets, social activists and environmentalists who take a stand against Silverline. They are attacking them personally so that they backtrack from their stand, he said citing the examples of poet Rafeeq Ahamed, writer MN Karassery, environmentalist CR Neelakandan. He added that such attacks are nothing different from the one by Sangh forces that murdered social activists Gauri Lankesh. He said that of the 40 important personalities who wrote to the government against Silverline project, 80% are Left sympathisers. tnn (With inputs from T'puram)
