Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee working president Kodikunnil Suresh has landed in a soup after passing an insensitive comment on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Claiming to expose the chief minister's tag as a 'renaissance man', the Congress leader said, "He is being called as a renaissance man after the Sabarimala episode. But why didn't he marry off his daughter to a man belonging to the SC community?”
Suresh went on to say that there are "many good youngsters part of the SC community. So this renaissance talk is all fake".
He was speaking at a dharna on the alleged SC/ST funds misappropriation case. The opposition had earlier alleged that CPI(M) leaders were behind the scam.
After the comments flared up on social media with many criticising him for the insensitive remark, Suresh claimed that he was merely putting across a matter that had been debated in the public domain.
Last year, the chief minister's daughter Veena Vijayan had married then DYFI national president P.A. Muhammad Riyas, who is a minister in the present Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet.
K. Radhakrishnan, Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes, dubbed the remark as insensitive. "The question itself is not suited for our society. Is a woman meant to be married off? That is an individual's choice," Radhakrishnan said.
DYFI secretary A.A. Rahim called the statement 'deplorable'. "Such an uncivilised statement has been made on a day we remember the messages of social reformer Ayyankali," said Rahim in a press conference.
The DYFI leader said that not so long ago, Kodikunnil Suresh had said that he was denied a chance in the Congress party because he was a dalit.
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Meanwhile, leader of opposition V.D. Satheesan said that he was yet to come across the controversial statement. He, however, said that such a statement was not the position of the Congress party. Kodikunnil Suresh had been in contention to become the leader of opposition before Satheesan was handed the role.
(This article was first published in onmanorama)
