Misogynistic, Derogatory Remarks Against LDF Candidate Prathibha
The action came after the Alappuzha District Collector directed the police, citing a violation of the Model Code of Conduct ahead of the state assembly polls.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala police on Thursday filed a case against Muslim League leader A Irshad over alleged misogynistic and derogatory remarks about U Prathibha, the LDF candidate from the Kayamkulam assembly constituency.
The action came after the Alappuzha District Collector directed the police, citing a violation of the Model Code of Conduct ahead of the state assembly polls. Prathibha, a two-time MLA from Kayamkulam, is contesting against Congress candidate M Liju this time. During an election meeting, Irshad, who is also the local UDF convenor, accused her of seeking votes by flaunting her speaking skills and physical appearance, while also making insinuations about her personal and family background.
Irshad has been booked under sections 75 (sexual harassment) and 79 (insulting the modesty of a woman or intruding upon her privacy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 120 (public nuisance and violating public order) of the Kerala Police (KP) Act, and 67 (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the IT Act. The Media Certification and Monitoring Committee also examined media reports and social media posts related to the derogatory speech and referred the matter to the district-level panel on the MCC. The material was reviewed by a committee headed by the collector, and a prima facie violation was found in the entire episode.
It was later decided that the police would be directed to register a case on charges of outraging the modesty of a woman, making baseless allegations during elections, spreading false statements that could influence the electoral outcome, and defamation.
The remarks triggered strong protests from the LDF leadership, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stating that attacking a woman public representative with derogatory comments showed an inability to politically counter her development work and public engagement. Following the controversy, the Muslim League suspended him from the party, and the UDF removed him from his position as convener of the Kayamkulam Assembly Constituency Committee.