Kochi: Facing mounting criticism over his remarks widely perceived as insensitive towards women and low-income families, Kerala's Transport Minister CP John on Tuesday refused to withdraw his comments, insisting they were intended to highlight the severe financial hardships faced by Kerala’s working class rather than mock women.

Speaking to the media in Kochi, John defended his controversial speech delivered at the Kerala Bus Transport Association’s state conference in Palakkad, where he had described the choices made by poor families as a ‘contradictory lifestyle’. During the speech, he had remarked that women crowd into subsidised Priyadarshini KSRTC buses to save money while paying hefty fees for private schools and leaving sick relatives on the verandas of government hospitals.

Attempting to explain his remarks, John said the success of the state’s Priyadarshini bus scheme itself reflected the economic distress faced by a large section of the population.

“The foundation of the Priyadarshini scheme’s success lies in the severe hardship faced by the people of this land. It is this struggling populace that we need to address. They are the same people who don’t even have a place to lie down when admitted to hospitals,” he said.

The minister argued that the government's approach to public transport was aimed at supporting those facing financial hardship and contrasted it with previous administrations. “The approach taken by this government regarding public transport is a very positive approach, isn’t it? That should open our eyes. The previous government didn’t do this, right? People are facing so much hardship,” he said.

Referring to his remarks on parents opting for private education despite financial struggles, John said such decisions reflected their aspirations to secure a better future for their children. “Because they have an aspiration to overcome the poverty they face by providing a better education,” he said.

He added that political leaders, including himself, had failed to fully understand the aspirations of the working class.

“Understanding the aspirations of the working class here, I engaged in self-criticism, acknowledging that political leadership, including myself, has failed to understand that,” he said.

However, John neither apologised for the remarks nor acknowledged that his choice of words may have caused offence. Instead, he dismissed the criticism and maintained that the controversy stemmed from how his comments had been interpreted.

“You have the right to interpret it however you wish. Let it be interpreted; let controversies happen. I stand firm by what I said,” he said.

While the minister framed his remarks as an attempt to draw attention to poverty and the aspirations of working-class families, he stopped short of addressing criticism that his original comments appeared to stereotype women commuters and trivialise the difficult financial choices made by low-income households.

John’s latest clarification comes amid widespread political backlash over his original remarks, with opposition parties accusing him of mocking women who rely on subsidised public transport and belittling the economic compulsions faced by ordinary families. His comments have also drawn criticism from women’s organisations and sections of the public.

The controversy has since expanded beyond public transport into a wider political debate, with the opposition using the issue to target the ruling LDF government while raising questions over women’s economic hardships, the state of public healthcare and education, and the difficult trade-offs faced by low-income households.

Despite the growing criticism and protests, John remained defiant, signalling that he was unwilling to retreat from his remarks. Maintaining that his comments had been misunderstood rather than misplaced, the minister insisted that he stood by every word of his speech.