With the high-stakes Kerala assembly elections just days away, a massive political storm has erupted following the circulation of a highly controversial video from the Idukki district. The leaked footage places senior Congress leader CP Mathew squarely in the eye of the storm, bringing his leadership and campaign tactics under intense public scrutiny. The incident unfolded during a vibrant campaign gathering organized in Vazhathop, an event specifically held to drum up local support for the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate, Roy K Paulos.

During his address to the energized crowd of party workers, Mathew can be heard sharing deeply troubling strategies on how to handle physical confrontations with rival political groups. According to the viral clip, he openly advised his female colleagues to file official complaints during such clashes to guarantee stronger legal action against their opponents. Taking the shocking advice a step further, he specifically instructed his supporters to ‘Tear your blouses, file false cases against rivals’. By intentionally destroying their own clothing before presenting themselves to the police, Mathew callously suggested that the women could easily manufacture undeniable and severe cases against their political adversaries.

The controversy, however, did not stop at fabricated physical assaults. Mathew proceeded to outline a calculated strategy involving the strict provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. He explicitly recommended bringing women from SC and ST communities to the forefront of these staged clashes. By doing so, he argued, any resulting police complaints would automatically become far more serious from a legal point of view, ultimately trapping their opponents under non-bailable offenses.

Unsurprisingly, the explosive video spread like wildfire across various social media platforms, drawing immediate and intense condemnation from everyday citizens, civil society groups, and rival political factions. The ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist)—CPI(M)—wasted no time in launching a scathing attack on the Congress party. CPI(M) leaders strongly criticized Mathew's deeply problematic remarks, officially accusing the Congress of intentionally stoking fear and tension ahead of the polls. They argued that this video exposes a premeditated, malicious attempt to misuse crucial legal provisions, frame innocent rivals, and unfairly sway the upcoming election results.

Adding to the gravity of the situation is the fact that Mathew did not make these remarks in isolation. Several high-ranking political figures, including Kerala Congress Vice-President Jayson Joseph, were seated prominently on the stage while the speech was being delivered. Despite the deeply offensive nature of the instructions, none of the senior leaders present intervened, and to date, they have completely refrained from issuing any public response or apology regarding the event.

Furthermore, this is far from CP Mathew’s first brush with public outrage. Just recently, he faced heavy criticism for a completely different controversy. According to credible reports from The Hindu and the Press Trust of India, Mathew was recently in the spotlight for allegedly physically assaulting a differently-abled party worker during a public gathering, a track record that is only amplifying the current backlash.

This erupting scandal comes at a critical and highly sensitive juncture for the state. Kerala is fully geared up to head to the polling booths on the 9th of April to elect representatives for its 140-member Assembly, with the crucial counting of votes securely scheduled for the 4th of May. In what is already a tightly contested electoral battle, the opposition UDF is fighting tooth and nail against the incumbent Left Democratic Front (LDF), spearheaded by the CPI(M). As voters prepare to make their final decisions, controversies of this magnitude could play a significant role in shifting the political landscape.