CPM general secretary M.A. Baby has faced criticism for not directly condemning the controversial anti-women remarks made by Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar. Speaking to the media on September 3, Baby said the Constitution guarantees equality between men and women and that religious interpretations should not contradict constitutional values. He also said that in the initial stages of all religions, human harmony, love and goodness were emphasised, while various contradictions emerged later. However, instead of clearly stating that Kanthapuram’s remarks were wrong, Baby said that those making anti-women comments should engage in introspection and self-examination.
Baby’s response comes amid criticism that leaders of both the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), as well as ministers of the state government, have not opposed Kanthapuram’s remarks in sharp and unequivocal terms. In Kerala, the BJP has been among the political parties directly opposing the controversial remarks, while other political parties have faced questions over the nature and strength of their response. The criticism is that Baby’s formulation amounts to a soft response to Kanthapuram rather than an unambiguous condemnation of his anti-women comments.
In the same response, Baby brought the RSS into the controversy while addressing the issue. He sought to draw a parallel between Kanthapuram’s remarks and a statement attributed to RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat. Baby alleged that Bhagwat had said some time ago, amid reports of atrocities against women, that women should be confined to their homes to prevent such incidents. The criticism against Baby is that invoking Bhagwat and the RSS serves as a balancing argument and diverts attention from the remarks at the centre of the controversy. The response has also been compared with the political reactions surrounding the ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI), when leaders of both fronts had referred to the RSS while discussing the action against the organisation.
Meanwhile, Congress leader V.D. Satheesan had criticised Kanthapuram, but his Facebook post was subsequently removed after colleagues of Kanthapuram reportedly met him and protested. The episode has further fuelled criticism that political parties in Kerala, barring the BJP, have been reluctant to take a direct and unequivocal stand against the controversial anti-women remarks.
