K Sudhakaran courts row over sexist remark, apologises

Thiruvananthapuram: Senior Congress leader K Sudhakaran, has courted controversy over his anti-women remarks while targetting Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Attacking Vijayan while addressing party workers at Kasaragod Wednesday, Sudhakaran had said the Chief Minister had failed to act as a man when it came to running his office and his tenure was worse than that of women.

 "When Vijayan assumed office, I thought he will do much like a man, but it turns out that he is worse than women," Sudhakaran, a former MP and from the politcally volatile northern district of Kannur, from where Vijayan also hails, had said.

 As a row broke out, Sudhakaran Thursday apologised for his remarks, saying he had been "misquoted."      Pointing out that he respects women, Sudhakaran said his speech should have been heard in total, rather than using some words here and there.

In November this year, his comments that women of menstrual age would be blocked if they attempted to enter the Sabarimala shrine during the mandala puja had also sparked a row.

In 2011, the KPCC Working President had levelled charges of bribery and corruption against a sitting supreme court judge in a bar license case.

A group of apex court lawyers had petitioned the chief justice to initiate contempt against him for the remarks.

However, under pressure from his party, he later retracted his statement that he had witnessed the judge being bribed.