Make election campaign more dignified

A tight election obscures the winner until the last minute, but vile tactics rule the roost. Insulting and slanderous campaigns have no place in the current democratic environment. Based on the Muslim League's complaint, the Malappuram Cyber ​​Police registered a case over the posting of vulgar and edited photos of the Muslim League state president, Panakkad Sadikhali Shihab Thangal, on Facebook. The photo was posted from a fake Facebook address, with a foreign phone number, and logged in via VPN.

Even certain news channels published the news but removed it following the controversy. Left Front activists and League activists continue to make accusations and counter-accusations on this account in cyberspace. Beyond ideological debates, no candidate should make remarks that stir the feelings of communities. There are voters from all religious groups in all constituencies. They should be seen as voters with equal rights, not based on caste.

Meanwhile, NDA candidate from Guruvayur constituency B. Gopalakrishnan was booked for violating the model code of conduct. A final decision is awaited to judge whether his remarks were inflammatory or blown out of proportion. In any case, political leaders should avoid situations that could lead to such cases. Election season demands that candidates be extra cautious in their use of words. Even one slip of the tongue could pay a huge price during the polls. Examples are replete in front of us to point out such instances. The fronts should put forward politics that speak of the development of the country and the welfare of the people.

With the election around the corner, fake videos and audios with the help of modern technology might still enter the fray. On the brighter side, the people here are intelligent enough to differentiate fraud from reality. However, such false propaganda may confuse a small section of vulnerable people. Therefore, it is wise to keep aside such tactics. A dignified campaign that follows political etiquette and codes of conduct is the need of the hour.