The State Women's Commission on Monday registered a case against the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President MM Hassan for the remarks he made against former MLA Sobhana George.
Sobhana is Hassan's former party colleague and had been an active and visible member of the party earlier.
In March this year, she joined the CPI (M) and has been campaigning for the Left candidate Saji Cherian for the upcoming Chengannur bye-election to be held on May 28.
Hassan, in a television show, had recently said that in the 1991 Assembly election, though the Congress had decided to field D Vijayakamar as the candidate, in the last minute, Sobhana managed to trump Vijayakumar and become the candidate.
"The reasons for giving the seat to Sobhana can't be revealed in front of a camera," Hassan had said.
D Vijayakumar is the Congress candidate for the bye-election, necessitated by the death of KK Ramachandran Nair in January this year.
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The Chairperson of the State Women's Commission MC Josephine told TNM that a case has been registered against Hassan.
"The Commission has sought legal advice and further action will be taken based on that," she said.
Sobhana represented Chengannur from 1991 to 2005.
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Sobhana, on her part, responded that if Hassan was not ready to withdraw the remarks, she will take action after May 28.
"Since it’s election time, I do not intend to say anything. I'm not aware of anything that happened in connection with the 1991 election that Hassan has said cannot be disclosed before a camera," she said.
"I was one among the 13 office bearers of the Youth Congress at that time and the lone woman among them. Candidature is decided by the High Command in the Congress. It was Rajiv Gandhi, the then president of the All India Congress Committee who approved my candidature. Hassan's remarks amount to insulting even Rajiv Gandhi. If he is fair, he should withdraw the remarks or should reveal what had happened. As a woman and as a public worker, I will take the issue forward," Sobhana told the media on Monday in Chengannur.
She also asked why Vijayakumar was not fielded in the 2006 elections instead of PC Vishunath if he was that capable a candidate.