Life in Kerala would have been extremely dull without the sex scandals transpiring frequently in the 100% literate and God’s own country. If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, a sex scandal a day keeps boredom away — that is the principle being followed by the competing media at the moment here.
The best practitioners of this newfound theory are the politicians themselves, from whom others learn. Peethambara Kurup, who? None in the state, not even those in the Kollam constituency that he represents in the Lok Sabha, seemed to know him till the other day when he shot into fame by rubbing shoulders with a voluptuous Bollywood and Mollywood actress at a public function, the president’s boat race in Kollam, where she had been invited to inaugurate it. If some hoped to have a glimpse of the thrilling boat race in the enchanting waters, their hopes were dashed.
Instead, the 70-plus Kurup wearing the Congress flag around his neck and in the midst of the crowd surrounding the actress, Shweta Menon, stole the show infamously by standing as close to her as possible, touching her from behind, holding her hand much against her disapproving looks. The channels had a field day the next day onwards following Shweta’s complaint against his indecent behaviour.
But Kurup looked every inch an honourable Congressman, although he had locked his eyes and hands at her as if mesmerised.
Indeed, this incident was different from the earlier ones involving P K Kunhalikutty, P J Joseph and P J Kurien, prominent Kerala politicians who had to wage prolonged legal battles to extricate themselves from the scandals that had hit them. Kurup was lucky in that the scandal raged only for about a week as he apologised for the insult and the actress flew to Bangalore to escape the marauding mediamen, who seemingly were disappointed at the quick end to the drama.
For a week, chief minister Oommen Chandy and his government had some respite from the relentless Opposition attack in the Saritha and Biju solar and sex scandals that have been rocking the state for a long time. For a change, DYFI, the CPM youth outfit, came to love Shweta and took on Kurup and filed a complaint on behalf of her. The entire population in the state actually ranged behind the two individuals attacking and supporting them. A large number of women found fault with Shweta for making a fuss of it after she had bared herself in Kamasutra campaigns and allowed her delivery scene to be portrayed in a film to make money. They said she had no right to appear so angelic against the aged Kurup, who must have been a victim of a moment’s passion in her irresistible presence.
Though the situation is quiet now, the people are looking forward to the next episode in the sex entertainment show.