Kerala Transport Minister CP John drew flak on Tuesday for his remarks allegedly belittling women who avail free rides in KSRTC buses under the Priyadarshini scheme implemented by the UDF government in June.
Speaking at a state conference of the Kerala Bus Transport Association, a trade union body of private buses, in Palakkad on Monday, the minister said that he was astonished by the behaviour of women in Kerala when it comes to their choices in public health, education and transport sectors.
“The behaviour that I don’t understand is that a woman, who cannot afford a bus ticket and scrambles into the Priyadarshini buses for free rides, chooses to send her children to private schools which charge high fees. There are vacant classrooms in government schools, but their kids are sent to private schools. But when it comes to healthcare, the same woman takes her father or husband to a government hospital and sleeps on the verandah. They don’t want to go to private hospitals because they cannot afford the bills there,” the minister said.
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{{/usCountry}}Also Read | Free bus rides for women only on short, local routes, says Kerala CM
{{/usCountry}}“We have understood the reality that women in the state don’t have money in their hands. That’s why they are scrambling into crowded Priyadarsini buses,” he added.
When reporters asked the minister on Tuesday whether his remarks amounted to disparaging women and their self-respect, John clarified that he only spoke about the ‘state of poverty of women’.
“The spirit of my speech was that around 35-40% people are experiencing deprivation due to financial distress. To overcome the distress, they are trying different things. My speech was aimed only at promoting the Priyadarshini scheme and to describe the distress faced by women who avail the scheme. I would never insult women,” he said.
However, leaders from opposition parties were not satisfied. Senior CPI(M) leader and MLA KN Balagopal said the minister’s remarks reflect a feudal mindset.
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“Ministers should refrain from words that reflect an authoritarian and feudal mindset,” he said.
CPI leader Annie Raja said the minister must apologise. “His remarks amount to insulting women. The government continues to portray its schemes as some kind of generosity. It’s because these women have voted for the UDF that it is in power today. When women avail the same schemes, they are insulted,” she said.