CPI M Files Defamation Suit Against Manorama Over False Allegations Related to Electoral Bonds

Thiruvananthapuram: CPI M State Committee has firmly responded to a defamatory and malicious news published in Malayala Manorama on May 24 2025. The news falsely alleging that the party received 25 lakh via Electoral Bonds from Megha Engineering and infrastructure company. M V Govindan, State secretary of CPI M through his legal counsellor Advocate K S Arunkumar has served legal notice to the Chief Editor / Managing Editor of Malayala Manorama, demanding an immediate public retraction and an unconditional apology public apology.
The party has stated that failure to comply within three days will lead to Criminal defamation proceedings against Malayala Manorama, its editors, reporter concerned and others responsible for the publication of the news, Civil suit for damages for reputational harm and Complaint before the Press Council of India.
It is important to note that the CPI M has never noticed any contribution through the Electoral Bond schemes, a fact verified by official data from the State Bank of India (SBI), which was released following the supreme court's landmark judgement that struck down the Electoral Bond Scheme as unconstitutional. The apex court observed that anonymous corporate funding violated citizen's right to information and undermined democratic transparency.
CPI M stands apart as the only major political party that legally challenged the very constitutionality of the Electoral Bonds. The party’s principled stand against opaque corporate funding is rooted in its commitment to clean, transparent, and people- centred politics. This historic legal battle led by the CPI M ultimately culminated in the Supreme Court’s decision to scrap the scheme, reaffirming the party’s role as a guardian of democratic values.
The publication of such false and politically motivated reports by Malayala Manorama—especially at a time when the party is actively defending people’s rights—appears to be a deliberate attempt to malign CPI M’s image. The party has made it clear that it will not tolerate such attacks and will pursue all legal remedies to protect its integrity.
CPI M reiterates its unwavering dedication to principled politics and calls upon media institutions to uphold journalistic ethics, rather than becoming tools in the hands of vested interests