Not for the first time, the Minister for Public Works G Sudhakaran has left the LDF government in Kerala red-faced after he questioned why the media had hounded Saritha Nair.
Saritha S Nair is the key accused in the solar scam.
Sudhakaran made the comment at a function in Kasargode to felicitate students who secured A Plus in Class 10 examinations.
"The government is doing a good job. But the media won't see it. The media is always going after sensationalism," the minister said.
He added, "During the tenure of the previous United Democratic Front government, the media was after Saritha. What wrong did Saritha do? She only tried to start a business. Is it wrong to conduct discussions for this purpose? Those who harmed her should be blamed."
The minister went so far as to say that deriving enjoyment by putting women in danger is a kind of mental perversion. "Kerala is a land which once protected women" he said, reports Mathrubhumi Online.
In May this year, the minister had come up with a bizarre statement where he established a link between farming and the increasing cases of rape in the state.
The minister said that the number of rape cases would come down if more men were to engage in farming and women were not so "obsessed" with their mobile phones.
“Farmers seldom get time to abuse women...he does not have the time, because he will be busy with farming,” the minister was quoted as saying.
It may be recalled that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) during the last Assembly election in May 2016 had made the solar scam the single biggest campaign issue.
Saritha S Nair is the prime accused in the solar scam which had shaken the previous UDF government and to a large extent contributed to its election debacle.