Thiruvananthapuram: The police on Tuesday registered a case against Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Mullappally Ramachandran for making derogatory remarks against a woman while addressing a protest meet against the LDF government here.
The case was registered at the Thiruvananthapuram Women's Police Station after the woman filed a complaint before Kerala Police chief DGP Loknath Behera. She had also filed a complaint with Kerala Women's Commission.
On Sunday, Ramachandran had said, "... it's a desperate attempt by the (Left) to dress up a prostitute and make her stand behind the curtain and narrate her tales. This will not work."
"One can understand when a woman is raped once. But what if she repeatedly says it. A woman with self respect will either die by suicide after she is raped or try not to be sexually assaulted again."
Ramachandran was criticising the ruling LDF after a solar scam accused approached the police accusing former Congress Minister A P Anil Kumar of raping her.
The solar scam had rocked the then UDF government headed by Oommen Chandy in Kerala after reports surfaced in 2013 that some of his staff were involved in alleged duping of several people of crores of rupees by a woman and her husband by offering solar panel solutions. Ramachandran was apparently referring to the woman when he made the remarks on Sunday.
However, he tendered an unconditional apology after coming under fire from women leaders, including those from his party. Ramachandran said his statements were misinterpreted by certain people.
While Health Minister K K Shailaja termed the comment as 'highly condemnable', the state commission for women had registered a case against the Congress chief.
"It was an anti-women statement from Mullappally Ramachandran. He said the victim would commit suicide after rape. Rape is the most brutal crime against women and children. The statement is a disgrace to the society as such," Shailaja said in a video message.
Shailaja also said offering an apology after making such 'deplorable' statements was not enough as this was not the first time the Congress leader has made such comments.
Ramachandran had earlier made 'derogatory' remarks against Shailaja in June, calling her a "COVID Queen" and a "Nipah Princess", referring to her handling of the diseases as the health minister.
