The president of the Congress’ Kerala unit, Mullappally Ramachandran, has been criticised for sexist remarks made during a speech in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. “We can understand if a woman says she was raped once. If raped a woman with self-respect will either die or will not let that happen again,” he had said.
Ramachandran, who was targeting the ruling Left government in the state in his address, later expressed regret for his comment.
“I was trying to say this government is engulfed by corruption and is looking at ways to get out of this. If my statement was interpreted as against any specific person, I sincerely regret this,” he said. “Some sections are trying to portray this as anti-women. It is not like that. Even after I said I regret this, if a controversy is created, it is with political intention,” he added.
Kerala’s Health Minister K.K. Shailaja called the comment “shameful”. She said, “He spoke as if to say that if a woman is raped she should commit suicide. This is shameful. Rape doesn›t happen because women don›t take care. It is because of a social psyche. Regret itself is not enough. There have been similar statements by him.”
Ramachandran and Shailaja tangled in June over Covid-19, with the Congress leader sparking a row after describing the Health Minister as “Covid Rani (queen)” and “Nipah Rajkumari (princess)”.
“What I have said is right. I stand by my words and have not insulted anyone,” Ramachandran said at that time, adding, “I am not going to apologise.”
That row was over acclaim for Shailaja for her handling of the Nipah virus outbreak in 2018, and an invitation by the United Nations to participate in a discussion on efforts to fight Covid-19.