Leaders of major political parties have come out in support of the demand to hold an all-party meeting to discuss the current scenario in Vadakara against the backdrop of the vitriolic campaign there ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, and the subsequent developments recently.
It was Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] Kozhikode district secretary P. Mohanan, who revealed to a section of the media on Monday that he had spoken to P.K. Kunhalikutty, MLA, and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) national general secretary, about such an idea. According to Mr. Mohanan, the IUML, which has a strong influence in the region, could play a major role in maintaining peace and harmony there.
The Lok Sabha election in Vadakara had been marred by a fierce cyber campaign by the both the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF). Allegations and counter-allegations flew thick and fast. Legal notices were served by both the camps against each other too. On the eve of the election on April 26, a WhatsApp message with communal overtones seeking votes for Shafi Parambil, the UDF candidate, found its way on to the social media. Though the LDF blamed a Muslim Youth League (MYL) worker for this, the latter denied the charge.
