‘Kafir’ screenshot was a communal bomb, says Congress MP Parambil

Kozhikode, June 17 (IANS) Breaking his silence for the first time after the investigation into the controversial “Kafir” screenshot made a breakthrough, Congress MP from Kerala’s Vadakara Shafi Parambil on Wednesday alleged that the fake image was a communal bomb thrown against social unity, but the Malayalis had rejected the attempt.

Parambil said the truth had finally come out after nearly two years and thanked the people of Vadakara and the police for bringing the facts to light.

“The CPI-M threw a communal bomb at the unity of the state through the ‘Kafir’ screenshot. But Malayalis themselves destroyed that attempt,” he said.

The MP alleged that similar attempts continued in places like Perambra and referred to earlier controversies involving communal messaging.

According to him, the political attempt was to create division among voters during the Vadakara Lok Sabha election.

Parambilsaid the UDF had, from the beginning, maintained that it had no role in the creation or circulation of the fake content and alleged that efforts were made to shift the blame onto another political group.

The police investigation into the case has now turned towards the digital trail.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has found that arrested DYFI leader Jithin Bhaskar allegedly forwarded the screenshot individually to around 200 persons through WhatsApp.

Police said all those who circulated the fake screenshot would also face action and could be made accused in the case.

The SIT is preparing to seek Bhaskar’s custody to identify the original creator and trace whether anyone else was behind the creation of the message.

The forensic examination report of Bhaskar’s mobile phone has been received by the SIT, and investigators will question him based on the scientific evidence collected.

However, police have not yet established who created the fake screenshot.

The investigation is also examining whether the content was prepared following instructions from any other person.

The case had triggered a major political controversy during the 2024 Vadakara Lok Sabha election campaign after the fake message attempted to create a religious divide by targeting Parambil and LDF candidate K.K. Shailaja.

The arrest of the DYFI leader marked the first major breakthrough in the case, which had remained unresolved for nearly two years.

–IANS

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