BJP Kerala chief Surendran lands in controversy over remarks against CPI(M) women leaders

Condemning Surendran's remarks against women leaders, both CPI(M) and Congress party filed police complaints

BJP Kerala unit president K Surendran has courted a controversy by making alleged derogatory remarks against women CPI(M) leaders, prompting the ruling party and the Opposition Congress to file police complaints over the matter.

During a Mahila Morcha event organised in Thrissur on Sunday, Surendran had allegedly made derogatory remarks involving body shaming and racism against women leaders of the CPI(M).

Condemning Surendran's remarks against women leaders, both the CPI(M) and the Congress party filed police complaints.

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While the CPI(M) leaders termed as "misogynistic", the remarks of Surendran, youth Congress leader Veena S Nair filed complaints with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and State Women Commission, accusing the BJP leader of making extremely insulting statements against women.

Leader of Opposition, V D Satheesan, condemned Surendran's remarks and sought an apology.

"UDF strongly protests against Surendran's anti-women statement. The statement should be retracted and an apology should be given. If not corrected, a case should be filed against Surendran," Satheesan demanded.

Meanwhile, the alleged delay on the part of the CPI(M) leaders in responding to Surendran's remarks against their women colleagues was criticised by Congress.

Satheesan questioned the silence of CPI(M) leaders including Vijayan and party state secretary M V Govindan over the issue, saying it was due to their friendship with the BJP leaders. The CPI(M) has not reacted to the allegations.

DYFI, the youth wing of the CPI(M) strongly protested against the statement of Surendran and said it shows the heinous mentality of BJP's politics. It has filed a complaint with the police.

CPI(M) leader and Rajya Sabha MP, A A Rahim, said the statement was misogynistic.

"With that statement, Surendran proved that no one from the civilised society can go along with the BJP. The state president of BJP made this misogynistic remark at a workshop of Mahila Morcha of BJP," Rahim said.

He sought the response of senior BJP leaders including union ministers Nirmala Sitaraman and Smriti Irani to their Kerala unit chief's comments.

Rahim said this was not the first time Surendran had made such anti-women statements and pointed out the earlier remarksof the BJP chief involving CPI(M) leader Chintha Jerome.

"This should be dealt with politically. Body shaming is not acceptable in a civilised society," Rahim said.