Mistakes do happen: Kerala women’s panel chief sides with accused MLA

Kerala women’s panel chief, MC Josephine seems to take a side and speak in favour of a CPI(M) legislator PK Saki, who has been accused of sexually harassing a woman leader of the Democratic Youth Federation of India.

No one can deny, mistakes do happen, Josephine has spoken in favour of CPI legislator PK Saki, she said, “This is nothing new… We are all human beings, mistakes do happen. People inside the party too may also have committed such mistakes.”

While, the state women panel made it clear that, a case cannot be registered on its own despite the National Commission for Women taking note of the incident and urging the Kerala police to begin an investigation.

“The woman has not filed a complaint with the women’s commission. Even for suo motu case, we need at least the basic details like the nature of complaint which could be revealed either by the media or the victim themselves, in this case, that hasn’t happened. Then how can we register a case,” Mr Josephine said while talking to media.

The Marxist party will have their own mechanism of dealing with these complaints, it’s not a new thing. and State women’s commission has not received any complaint yet. 

She said the onus is on the party to approach the police. “That’s up to the party to decide. The Marxist party will have their own system of dealing with these complaints; it’s not a new thing. Since its inception party has handled such complaints. Party will have their own system of handling such complaints and they handle it in their way,” Ms Josephine said.

While the opposition party, BJP accused the ruling left of burying the matter.  BJP lawmaker from Kerala V Muraleedharan said the women’s commission had become a ‘mute spectator’. The woman had sent the complaint to CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat on August 14 and e-mailed a copy of it to party general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

While, the accused, PK Sasi has termed the complaint a “well-planned conspiracy” to malign his reputation.

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