Thiruvananthapuram/Alappuzha, Mar 25 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday condemned the comments made by a UDF leader against the sitting Kayamkulam MLA and LDF candidate of the constituency for the April 9 polls, U Prathibha.
A Irshad, a leader of the Indian Union Muslim League and Kayamkulam UDF convener, during an election event, claimed that Prathibha was “selling” her eloquence and beauty for a third win from the seat and also accused the MLA of not doing any work for the people.
Terming his remarks as “misogynistic and insulting”, the CM said that attacking a woman with derogatory words just because she is a public servant is “a collapse of the political culture”.
In a statement issued by his office, Vijayan claimed that the right wing was resorting to such “character assassinations” because it was unable to politically confront the development work and interventions carried out by Pratibha in her constituency.
He said that such instances “expose the hypocrisy” of the opposition leader and the UDF, which always claim to be with the victim, but adopt a stand contrary to it.
The CM claimed that it was not an attack against a single person, but an insult to all women working with the people.
Vijayan also termed the IUML leader’s remarks as the emergence of a degenerate political attitude that despises women and does not see them as individuals with their own personalities.
The CM said that the UDF was mistaken if it thought it could gain votes by insulting women, instead of discussing development issues and problems faced by the people.
He said that Kerala always stood with the Left stance of protecting the dignity and rights of women.
Meanwhile, Prathibha said she will take appropriate legal action against the remarks by the IUML leader after informing the Election Commission about it.
She said that the “bad” remarks came from a party that has been led in the past by women like Indira Gandhi and has important leaders like Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. She apparently targeted Congress, which leads the UDF of which IUML is a constituent, though Irshad is not from the grand old party.
“I was shocked when I heard those remarks. In all my years of political life, I have never spoken ill of a candidate competing against me. I have not carried out any character assassination. The words he used were beyond character assassination,” she told a TV channel.
“During elections, people look at the heart and mind of the candidate and not their body. I have given my heart and my energy to Kayamkulam and worked hard for it. The mindset that a woman is only a body is wrong. It was a shameful statement,” she added.
Prathibha said that no woman or candidate should be insulted like this by any organisation.
Later at a press conference in Kayamkulam, the MLA broke into tears as she questioned how such remarks can be made by a responsible leader of a major political front in the state.
She said that such statements were probably made as the UDF was frustrated by the Left government’s work and the people’s support for the LDF.
Prathibha said that she has carried out extensive development work in her constituency.
“But, they see a candidate or an MLA only as a woman. I was deeply hurt by what I heard,” she said as tears flowed down her cheeks.
Besides a complaint in accordance with election norms, she said she will also seek police action.
She further said that such remarks were aimed at demoralising and scaring away the numerous competent women in the public sphere.
Pratibha also said that the issue would not end with an apology now, after it became controversial, as no one objected to Irshad’s remarks at the public event a day ago.
UDF candidate from Kayamkulam M Liju, during the day, spoke out against Irshad’s remarks, terming them as unacceptable.
“Neither I nor UDF will accept such remarks. The remarks were wrong. They should not have been made. Election venues and speeches should not be used for personal attacks,” he said.
Earlier, the IUML leader had claimed that the MLA had not done anything as a representative of the people.
He also accused Prathibha of not utilising the various funds she gets as an MLA for the benefit of her constituency.
“Now she is again seeking a win from the constituency by selling her eloquence and beauty,” he had alleged.
Irshad urged the people to vote for UDF candidate M Liju to prevent Prathibha from winning for a third time from the constituency.
The LDF MLA won from the Kayamkulam assembly seat in 2016 and 2021. PTI HMP HMP ADB
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