KOZHIKODE: The controversy over Samastha leader Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar’s remarks on women’s presence in public spaces has taken a sharper political turn, with Congress leaders and ministers mounting strong criticism.
At the same time, leaders of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), including ministers N Samsudheen and K M Shaji, have chosen not to comment on the issue.
The issue escalated after Kanthapuram, speaking at a religious conference in Kochi, said that women should remain within their homes and warned that allowing women to enter public spaces could lead to serious consequences.
He defended the position by saying that the restriction was intended as a form of respect for women and that Islam prescribed the purdah system to prevent women from being placed in situations involving unrelated men.
Women and Child Development Minister Bindhu Krishna strongly criticised Kanthapuram’s position, while also stressing that everyone has the right to freedom of expression and religious belief.
“Everyone has freedom of expression. But such a statement cannot be considered exemplary,” Bindhu said. She stressed that the Constitution treats all citizens equally and that women have the same rights as men.
“People can follow their religious beliefs, but they must respect the Constitution,” the minister said, pointing out that women have already established their capabilities in every sphere of public life.
She also noted that even the country’s President is a woman.
Higher Education Minister Roji M John argued that the idea of sending women back from the public sphere to the kitchen was regressive. He recalled Keralam’s history of social reform movements and struggles for women’s rights, including the movement for the right to cover one’s upper body, the participation of women in the Vaikom Satyagraha-era movements and the contributions of figures such as Arya Pallam and Dakshayani Velayudhan.
Cultural Affairs Minister P C Vishnunadh reminded that this is an era where women are stepping into every stream of society. He said the government is actively undertaking efforts to ensure equality and stressed progress should continue in that direction, though he added that he would not comment on the specific wording of Kanthapuram’s statement.
KPCC President and Power Minister Sunny Joseph also responded to the controversy indirectly, pointing out that the Congress is a party that made Indira Gandhi the Prime Minister and emphasised that everyone should adopt a stance focused on the progress of the nation.
While Congress leaders have come out openly against the remarks, the response from its UDF ally, the IUML, has been markedly different.
General Education Minister Samsudheen and Local Self-Government Minister Shaji, besides MLA Fathima Thahiliya, were asked specifically about Kanthapuram’s remarks but they declined to offer an opinion.
Samsudheen said that the statement came from religious scholars and that he did not see the need to comment on it. Shaji was similarly unwilling to comment, saying that repeated questioning would not change his decision to remain silent.
Kerala Muslim Jamaat defends remarks
The Kerala Muslim Jamaat has defended Samastha Kerala Jamiyathul Ulama (Kanthapuram) general secretary Kanthapuram A P Abubacker Musliyar’s remarks on women’s participation in the public sphere, saying his guidance was rooted in Islamic principles and addressed to believers seeking to follow Islamic values. The Jamaat, in a statement, said Kanthapuram’s position was being “misinterpreted and made controversial”.