Kannur: Controversial politician K Sudhakaran has yet again courted trouble. The senior Congress leader and the UDF candidate from the Kannur Lok Sabha constituency in north Kerala is in a spot over a video released recently for his election campaign. Kerala Women's Commission on Wednesday registered a suo moto case against the candidate on the direction of its chairperson MC Josephine over its sexist content.
The Commission stated that the video tarnished women and the case was registered on the basis of news reports. Earlier, women's organisations had expressed their displeasure over the video released on multiple media, including prominent news channels. The video, which was shared on Sudhakaran's Facebook page too, has now been viewed on almost all social media platforms as election campaign enters the final stretch before Kerala voters cast their franchise on April 23. It is still available on his social media account.
The video, posted on April 15, shows an interaction between angry young man, who is ostensibly frustrated over his inability to get his due share, and his elderly relative (most probably, father) regretting his decision to send his daughter instead of him. The latter says 'Ole padippich teacher aakkiyathu verutheyaayi' (literally meaning "It was futile educating her and making her a teacher).
The apparent target of the content is the sitting MP and Sudhakaran's opponent P K Sreemathi of the CPM. She is popularly referred to as "Sreemathi teacher".
The videomakers purported to convey that there was no use sending a woman to Parliament last time from the Kannur constituency.
The actors in the video also make fun of the woman being targeted by saying that 'nobody could understand' when she spoke. Critics point out that this is aimed at Sreemathi's lack of expertise in English language.
The video concludes by stating that 'only a man can successfully argue for his right share' and people should not make a mistake a second time by sending a woman again.
Sudhakaran had lost to Sreemathi from the same seat in the Lok Sabha elections in 2014.
Sudhakaran said that the case against him is politically motivated.
In January this year, Sudhakaran had invited the wrath of feminists and the CPM for equating chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan to women. This remark was made during a speech in Kasaragod while referring to flood-rehabilitation projects in Kerala. Sudhakaran then stated he expected Pinarayi to work like a 'man' and 'he was worse than women'.
