Kozhikode (Kerala), March 10 Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan, on Monday criticized Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, recalling the Chief Minister's widely discussed "Love you to the moon and back" gesture with a teacup, while seeking a response from the government over allegations leveled against state Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar by his wife.
Satheesan said the Chief Minister, who had presented himself as a strong advocate for women's safety, must clarify his position in light of the allegations made by the minister's wife.
"What is the Chief Minister's position on this matter, given that he was holding a teacup, projecting himself as the biggest advocate for women's safety? What action will he take?" Satheesan asked reporters here.
Satheesan was apparently referring to the widely circulated image of Vijayan holding a teacup inscribed with the words "Love you to the moon and back" during an anti-Centre protest in the state capital earlier this year.
The CM's action was widely interpreted then as a gesture of solidarity with a survivor in the sexual assault case involving expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil.
Satheesan questioned the government's response to the allegations against Ganesh Kumar, asking what action the CM and the police intended to take in the matter.
Satheesan also wondered why the police allegedly left the minister's residence without properly investigating the complaint after Menon contacted them.
"What justice can women in Kerala expect if even a minister's wife cannot get it?" he asked.
Bindhu Menon, the minister's wife, had on Monday leveled allegations of infidelity against Ganesh Kumar and claimed that she had been living separately for the past several months due to his alleged relationships with several women.
She also alleged that the minister's personal staff had assaulted her.
Ganesh Kumar, however, dismissed the allegations as "politically motivated", saying they were being raised ahead of the Assembly elections.
However, the minister's wife on Tuesday said she will not be pursuing the complaint against her husband as he has admitted his mistake and apologized.
Kumar, a leader of the Kerala Congress (B), had married Menon in 2014 after legally separating from his former wife Yamini Thankachy.
