KANNUR: Calling the wide-spread criticism against Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s latest comment as a ‘misplaced media campaign with an ulterior motive’, Mattannur MLA and former health minister KK Shailaja said CPM state secretary was only joking.
She was referring to the comment Kodiyeri made during an interaction with reporters at the end of the CPM state conference at Kochi. When asked whether the party would consider 50% representation for women in the party’s state committee, he replied “Do you want to destroy the party?”
This comment was in sharp contrast to his statement that the party should aim for gender equality and end male dominance.
“It is not fair to treat a joke as something serious. Kodiyeri is a politburo member and the state secretary of the party. Everybody knows that. A leader of his stature will not make such an irresponsible comment,” Shailaja told reporters here on Saturday.
“It is also unfair to take a sentence out of context and use it to taint the image of a leader,” she said.