Senior Congress leader and UDF candidate in Kannur, K Sudhakaran, has been booked under non-bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code for his sexist campaign video, which takes a dig at Kannur LDF candidate and MP PK Sreemathy.
The Kannur Town police have booked Sudhakaran under Sections 171C (Undue influence at elections), 171G (False statement in connection with an election), 505(2) [Statements conducing to public mischief] and 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code.
The case has been registered as per the direction of Chief Electoral Officer Teeka Ram Meena and following legal advice. The CEO had warned Sudhakaran and directed him to remove the campaign video in question from his Facebook page. The case has been registered as the video was not removed despite the CEO's direction.
The video, which was shot like a short film, expresses the patriarchal mindset for blatantly saying that educating women is futile. The video, which kicked up a storm on social media, is directly targetted at PK Sreemathy. Sreemathy is a teacher by training and the video says women won't be able to get things done. The video alludes that only men are capable of facilitating action and making a daughter a teacher was pointless.
Sudhakaran is known for making crass and controversial remarks, including calling the Kerala Chief Minister "worse than a woman" and the minor in the infamous Suryanelli trafficking case a "prostitute".
The video focuses on a daughter and son demanding their share of property from their father. While the father and his friend are discussing the issue, the son complains that his sister has not managed to get things done and storms out in anger. The father agrees to this and says his daughter is incapable of understanding the issue or communicating it effectively. “It was a waste educating her and making her a teacher!" he says. Suggesting that the father should have sent his son, the friend claims, "He is a man. If he goes, he will only come back after achieving his goal."
Social media users called out Sudhakaran's sexism and objected to the content. Many even disliked the video over a thousand times.