Kayamkulam, 27 March (H.S.): A Muslim League leader, Irshad Chakkalassery, was arrested and later released on bail by the Kayamkulam police following a complaint filed by Kayamkulam MLA and LDF candidate U. Prathibha over alleged sexist and derogatory remarks made against her during an election event.

According to the police, a case was registered against Irshad under multiple sections, including insulting the modesty of a woman and circulating obscene content through social media platforms. Charges under the Information Technology Act were also invoked for allegedly spreading objectionable material online.

The complaint filed by Prathibha stated that she had been subjected to a sustained cyberattack and character assassination in the digital space. She emphasised that such derogatory comments against women, particularly those in public life, must be addressed firmly to send a strong message to society.

The controversial remarks were reportedly made during an election convention of UDF candidate M. Liju, where Irshad allegedly made personal and offensive comments targeting Prathibha’s appearance and public image, rather than her political work. The remarks quickly sparked outrage and drew widespread criticism.

Following the backlash, the Indian Union Muslim League took disciplinary action against Irshad, suspending him from the party’s primary membership and removing him from his position as constituency president and UDF constituency chairman.

In response to the controversy, Irshad expressed regret over his remarks.

The incident has once again highlighted concerns over the increasing instances of gender-based attacks in political discourse, particularly during election campaigns, with calls for stricter action to ensure respectful and issue-based campaigning.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman