Oommen Chandy's children back him online

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former chief minister Oommen Chandy’s three children have taken to the social media to salvage the reputation of their father which has taken a hit  in the past few days over the solar scam. His daughters, Maria Oommen and Achu Oommen and son Chandy Oommen have started a campaign  titled #StandWithOC  which has elicited   support from a large section of netizens   who have  proclaimed ‘Satyameva Jayate' ('Truth alone triumphs’). Mr Chandy has been at the receiving end after chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced the filing of  Vigilance and criminal cases against him and other accused in the solar scam report.

Recently,  Maria had  helped her ‘Appa’ with  a live Facebook chat  a day before the solar  judicial commission had recommended action against Mr Chandy and other Congress leaders. Maria,  who works with a leading accounting firm in Technopark,  told DC that their campaign calls for justice to their ‘Appa.’ “Though #StandWithOC was started by three of us,  people from  across the world have taken it forward.  The common people are getting in touch with us with pictures of ‘Appa’ proclaiming that they are with us in this cause,”  said Maria.

Leaders like Kozhikode DCC president T. Siddique   invited netizens for a Facebook live chat  on Monday  evening.  Muslim League general secretary P. K. Kunhalikutty MP, Congress MLA K. Muraleedharan, CMP leader C. P. John and others have supported Mr Chandy on Maria’s Facebook page. Achu Oommen, who had associated with KSU politics during her college days in Mar Ivanios College in Thiruvananthapuram, is a homemaker in Dubai.   A picture on  Chandy Oommen’s  Facebook post with his father’s smiling face says, "we are with Kerala's transparent sun, Oommen Chandy" with a veiled criticism of the solar scam. Chandy Oommen, who had quit as secretary from the State Youth Congress leadership during 2014,  has taken up teaching  assignments with Amity University in Noida.