Thiruvananthapuram: The controversial 'like' that V.T. Balram, MLA, had put on a seemingly paedophilic post is not to be seen anymore. This, despite a post by the legislator on Sunday, in which he said that a Facebook 'like' does not mean that he supports the cause. Now Mr Balram has admitted that he had indeed removed the like. "It is my prerogative. I am not answerable to anyone over why I clicked the 'like' or why I removed it," he told DC over the phone.
He maintained his earlier stance, when he said, "Anyone familiar with social media etiquettes would know that 'like' does not mean endorsement. Someone can hit a 'like', because you agree with one of the numerous things mentioned in a long post, or maybe they read only half of the original post. 'Like' on an FB post is not an opinion." However, as DC persisted to know why he removed the 'like', two days after uploading a post justifying his action, he replied, "I may have decided to remove the 'like', when a lot of controversies erupted over the issue. I don't have to explain why I did it."
When he was asked whether he was not answerable, since he was a public figure, he said, "Had I written in favour or against something, I would still be bound to answer," he said. The post he clicked a 'like' on was by a Malayali living in Poland about society putting restrictions on adolescents expressing their sexual attraction.
Activists including writer N. S. Madhavan have criticised the MLA. But he believes it is part of a political witch hunt. "Through my action as a citizen as well as a people's representative, I have never in my life supported paedophilia. It is part of a political witch hunt. They have been bringing up very silly issues like my college internal test marks," he said.
