Social media troll Mani with #entevaka500

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Fresh from the success of Kiss of Love and Positive Periods campaigns, social media has been vigorously, or rather humorously, campaigning against one of the hottest topics that has shaken state politics of late - the bar bribery case. It was a Facebook/Twitter post of filmmaker Aashiq Abu that triggered the trend on social media on Tuesday.
His post read: "Ashtikku vakayillathe kashtappedunna nammude sirnu kurachu kodikal koodi nammal naatukar pirichu kodukkanam.Ente vaka 500 roopa. (We must collect some more crores for our sir who does not even have the money to feed himself. Here is my contribution of Rs 500)". Soon, #entevaka500 began trending
Some even went to the extent of sending money orders to Mani's Pala residence. Lasar Shine, who sent Rs 10 as money order to Mani, said he did so to demand Mani to resign and return the bribe. "This campaign is proof that social media cannot just take up issues like Kiss of Love and napkin protest, but also demand a minister's resignation for corruption.
This is the latest in the line of campaigns that conventional political parties failed to take up, but where social media succeeded," Shine said.
Money orders were sent to the address K M Mani, Karingozhackal, Vellappad, Pala, with the message "I am donating Rs 10 for your spotless social work".
Interestingly, within hours after #entevaka500 began trending, a Facebook community 'Entevaka500' was formed to collect money for Mani.
Some Facebook users also posted pictures of thanksgiving to the finance minister for reopening bars. Others asked Mani to share the Rs 500 with chief minister Oommen Chandy for supporting him and Pinarayi Vijayan for silencing the opposition.