Kaffir screen shot controversy: DYFI national president Rahim moves police against ‘smear campaign’

The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) national president, A.A. Rahim, MP, has moved the State police demanding an investigation into the apparently viral. social media “smear campaign” that he had instigated, the communally touchy “Kafir screenshot” slurring the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]’s candidate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Vadakara, K.K. Shailaja, as a non-believer. 

Last week, the Kozhikode police arrested and remanded in judicial custody Jithin Bhaskar, a DYFI leader, who runs a local WhatsApp group, Vadakara Squad, for orchestrating the communally divisive campaign ostensibly to consolidate Hindu votes in favour of Ms. Shailaja in a Machiavellian attempt to undermine the chances of her rival and Congress leader, Shafi Parambil.

Subsequently, pro-Congress and United Democratic Front (UDF) social media handles pivoted against Mr. Rahim, accusing him of using underhanded tactics to create a schismatically communal campaign narrative in the Vadakara constituency by starkly juxtaposing the opposing candidates’ respective religious backgrounds. 

Mr Rahim filed a complaint with the Medical College Police in Thiruvananthapuram demanding an enquiry. In a Facebook post on Monday, Mr Rahim said he would contest the smear campaign politically and legally and suggested that more police complaints and lawyers’ notices were in the offing. 

Mr Bhaskar’s arrest had seemingly put the CPI(M) on the defensive. Several leaders, including then CPI(M) legislator K K Lathika, had shared the controversial screenshot on social media during the peak of the high-octane election campaign in Vadakara. 

Under the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, the Kozhikode police had investigated a Muslim Student Federation (MSF) leader, Muhammad Kasim, in connection with a defamatory and communally divisive online campaign. However, the probe, based on a CPI(M) sympathiser’s complaint, ended in a cul-de-sac, with the police failing to unearth any cognisable evidence against Mr Kasim. Subsequently, the Kozhikode police closed the investigation. 

However, the United Democratic Front (UDF) government resurrected the investigation following a complaint filed by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), MLA for Kuttiyadi Assembly Constituency, Parakkal Abdullah. He accused the previous LDF government of disregarding a High Court direction to reinvestigate the case, including confiscating the digital devices, such as mobile phones, of the parties involved for cyber forensic analysis. 

Consequently, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala ordered an investigation by the District Police Chief (Kozhikode Rural), T Farash. Subsequently, the police arrested Mr Bhaskar and confiscated his mobile phones for forensic examination. Officials said the investigation would soon extend to political leaders who shared and actively promoted the “Kafir screenshot” on social media.