Kozhikode: Vadakara police on Friday arrested Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) leader KS Hariharan over his alleged sexist remarks against senior CPM leader KK Shailaja and Malayalam film actress Manju Warrier, which he made during a recent public speech.
His arrest was recorded and then released on station bail, an officer said. The action was taken based on a complaint recently lodged by the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), a Left outfit.
The police had, on May 12, booked Hariharan under IPC Sections 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman) and 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot).
After he was released on station bail, Hariharan told reporters that, in Kerala, a lot of people make controversial remarks in their speeches, but cases are not registered against them.
He further said that after his speech, both he and his party leader KK Rema were attacked on social media. "We have decided to face it legally and politically," he added. Hariharan also said that what he said was wrong and that is why expressed regret regarding it. The RMP leader said that following the incident bombs were hurled at his home, but no one has been caught in connection with that. An unidentified gang, which came on a two-wheeler, hurled some explosives at the house at around 8.15 pm on May 12, he had claimed earlier.
Hariharan had made the objectionable remark on the night of May 11 while speaking at a meeting in Vadakara here, which was inaugurated by the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, VD Satheesan. The event was organised in response to the ruling LDF's charges that UDF workers had made a morphed video of Shailaja, who was a candidate in Vadakara in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls.
As the remark sparked a huge political storm, his own party's high command and the UDF openly criticised him and said Hariharan should not have made such objectionable comments against any woman.
Later, Hariharan came out with a Facebook post saying friends and journalists brought to his attention that he had made an "inappropriate" remark during the speech. The senior leader, through the post, also expressed regret for his comment.
(With PTI inputs)
