Vismaya Mohanlal Faces Cyber Backlash for Supporting Student Protests
Cyber Attack on Vismaya Mohanlal
CJP Protest in New Delhi. (Photo: 'X')
Kochi, July 22: Vismaya Mohanlal, the daughter of renowned actor Mohanlal, has become the target of a significant cyber attack following her support for the student protests led by the CJP in New Delhi. These protests were against alleged discrepancies in the NEET examination and the harsh police response to demonstrators.
During the protests, thousands of students marched from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan due to NEET paper leaks. The police intervened, using barricades to halt the march and resorting to lathi-charges and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
In response to graphic images of injured students circulating online, Vismaya took to her Instagram Story to express her outrage. She questioned, "Is this how a democratic nation treats its citizens? When people raise their voices, should the response be violent suppression instead of constructive dialogue? What does this say about our democracy?"
This post sparked a wave of coordinated online abuse, primarily from accounts aligned with the BJP and the Central government.
As Vismaya's debut film 'Thudakkam' is set to premiere on August 7, some users have called for a boycott of the film, accusing her of seeking publicity through her comments.
Her father's official Facebook page was inundated with hostile remarks, with comments like, "Ask your father what happened to Prithviraj," and threats that families would not support her film.
Others labeled Vismaya and fellow film personalities who supported the students as "anti-national," using derogatory terms and referencing unrelated incidents like the Pahalgam terror attack.
Despite the backlash, Vismaya has received considerable support online. Many social media users commended her for taking a stand against police brutality, acknowledging the potential impact on her father's reputation and her own career.
While Facebook was rife with abusive comments, numerous Instagram users expressed their admiration for Vismaya's courage in addressing a significant public issue.
The online hostility has not been confined to Vismaya alone. Other actors such as Tovino Thomas, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Rima Kallingal, Prachi Tehlan, and filmmaker Aashiq Abu, who also voiced support for the protesting students, have faced similar trolling and calls for boycotts, reflecting the increasingly divisive nature of political discussions on social media.