Kochi: Kerala Women’s Commission Chairperson MC Josephine has resigned from her post following her controversial remark on a Malayalam news channel. The decision was announced today, after the CPI(M) state secretariat meeting. During a phone-in programme conducted by a Malayalam news channel, Josephine was sharply criticized for her rude reply to a Kochi native who called her to inform her about domestic violence. MC Josephine was demanded to resign by opposition parties, including Congress and BJP.
In a TV show, a woman told Josephine that her husband and her mother-in-law harassed her. Josephine, who sounded annoyed with the woman for the background noise during the call, then asked if she had approached the police. Upon hearing the victim’s reply, Josephine said, ‘Then, you suffer’.
Women facing domestic abuse had the opportunity to call into Manorama News on June 23 and raise their complaints directly to the Women’s Commission Chairperson. Josephine was heard reacting harshly when she spoke to the woman from Kochi. MC Josephine, however, was also seen to be very patient with other complainants.
Initially, Josephine claimed that she had never made such a comment on June 24. Her statements were twisted, she claimed. Following an intensification of protests, Josephine apologized and indicated she was only acting like a mother. According to reports, the CPI(M) party, which was outraged by numerous recent dowry deaths, was embarrassed by Josephine’s actions.
It is not the first time Josephine has caused controversy and made insensitive remarks. An equally harsh response to a complainant earlier this year had sparked yet another row. A woman who was assaulted by a neighbor and whose relative was 87 years old had asked Josephine to hold the hearing at a nearby location so that the ailing complainant could attend. Josephine, on the other hand, is alleged to have asked harshly why the 87-year-old had to file the complaint. Also heard on the audio is Josephine calling the complainant ‘thalla’, a Malayalam word for ‘old woman’, referring to her rudely.
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Also in June 2020, there were demands to remove Josephine from her post following yet another controversial remark. A journalist asked Josephine about such cases against members of the CPI(M) during a media interaction after she visited a woman who was gang-raped. According to her, the Women’s Commission acts against CPI(M) leaders impartially, and that her party acts like a court and a police station.
Reports indicate that Josephine’s actions embarrassed the CPI(M) and moreover, after many dowry deaths in the state, people in the state felt outraged over Josephine’s actions. Josephine is a member of the central committee and the state committee of the CPI(M). Therefore, the party’s state secretariat requested her resignation.
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