'Rape victim with self-esteem should end life': Kerala Congress chief Mullapally sparks row with sexist remark

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], November 1 : Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Mullapally Ramachandran has stoked a controversy with a sexist remark. On Sunday at a protest meet here in Thiruvananthapuram, he accused the Left front government of relying on women with loose morals to hit out against the Opposition in order to deflect attention from the corruption charges it was facing. The State Congress leader, however, faced with sharp criticism, later apologized for his remarks.
Speaking at the Congress-led UDF protest in front of the secretariat today, Ramachandran said: that "if a rape victim has any self-esteem she will either die by suicide or ensure that she will not land in a similar situation anymore".
"No one can trust a woman like her (an accused in the solar scam). If you (Vijayan) think you can get an adulteress to target us, people of the state will not believe it," he said.
"If someone says it happened once, it's understood, but she says everyone raped her. A woman with self-respect would end her life if raped or will try to prevent it from happening again," Ramachandran said.
The Congress leader's remarks came amidst reports that the state police is likely to transfer to the Crime Branch sexual abuse complaints filed by an accused woman in the solar scam against several UDF leaders.
Soon after his remarks were met with sharp criticism, the KPCC chief offered an unconditional apology.
This is not the first time the KPCC chief has landed in a controversy over misogynist remarks. Earlier, his remarks against state Health Minister KK Shailaja had sparked a row and had invited widespread protest.