Kerala Women's Commission chairperson quits after widespread protests

A day after protests spilled on to the streets following a curt remark by M.C. Josephine, the chairperson of the Kerala Women's Commission on Friday decided to quit from her post.

She is a senior CPI-M central committee member.

The decision that she will put in her papers came at a party meeting in which she also took part at the state CPI-M state headquarters on Friday.

In a TV channel organised phone-in programme, Josephine, responding to a woman who had called to complain about the harassment that she has been facing at her husband's home, but added that she had not given a police complaint, said: "If you have not done (that), then you continue to suffer."

In the one to one talk between Josephine and the hapless woman, Josephine behaved in a "very rude and curt manner, where she was seen expressing her displeasure all through the talk" and at the end, the caller disconnected.

The entire opposition, both the Congress and the BJP, criticised Josephine and even took to the streets demanding her removal.

The women activists from the Congress staged a protest outside the CPI-M headquarters where the meeting was scheduled but were taken into custody by the police.

The women wing of the BJP too staged their protests before the Commission office and the CPI-M office.

Finding no support for her in the party and the growing protests, Josephine was asked to put in her papers.

Her five-year term was to end next year.

For the past few days, the state has witnessed a spate of suicides by young women upset by the grooms' demand for more dowry. In the midst of all these cases, came Jospehine's statement, which did not find favour with the people.