Congress leader apologises for sexual abuse remark

Kerala Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala has tendered an apology for his controversial remark on sexual abuse of women.

Chennithala's remark during a press conference on Tuesday whether only workers of DYFI can sexually abuse women had triggered strong criticism.

The Congress leader said in a social media post on Wednesday that it was a slip of the tongue and it should not have happened from him. Hence the remarks were being withdrawn and an apology tendered as he did not want his words to hurt women even in the slightest manner.

He also said that he never intended to make any such remark that insulted womanhood. Portions of his remarks were being spread with misleading interpretation, he alleged.

It was while replying to a query at a press conference on Tuesday on the allegations that the health official accused of raping a woman who approached for Covid-19 negative certificate in Thiruvananthapuram was a Congress activist that Chennithala made the controversial remark. "Is it written anywhere that only DYFI activists can harass women," the Congress leader asked, adding that to his knowledge the accused health official was a member of the pro-CPM service organisation.

Chennithala's statement invited widespread criticism and Kerala Health and Social Justice Minister K K Shailaja demanded him to tender an apology for the remark as it caused insult to womanhood. CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan demanded Chennithala to withdraw the statement.