Thiruvananthapuram: CPM general secretary M A Baby on Thursday rejected Sunni leader Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musaliyar’s controversial remarks that women should remain confined to their homes, saying such views reflected religions’ reluctance to accept gender equality and were unacceptable.Baby told the media that RSS and its chief, Mohan Bhagwat, had also made similar remarks. “When the issue of women being attacked and sexually assaulted was raised strongly across the country, what did RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat say? He said women should remain confined to their homes, arguing that violence against them occurs because they venture outdoors,” he alleged.Baby said Kanthapuram’s views were contrary to Indian constitutional values and the legal system. “Constitutional values, not religious diktats, are important. Kanthapuram should introspect and change,” he said. “The Constitution of India guarantees gender equality. No interpretation in the name of any religion should fail to uphold constitutional values,” he added.Meanwhile, Sunni organisations backed Kanthapuram’s remarks, offering various interpretations and justifications. Muslim League functionaries, however, declined to respond after party state president Panakkad Sadikkali Shihab Thangal’s refusal to denounce the remarks drew criticism. On Wednesday, CM V D Satheesan rejected Kanthapuram’s remarks, saying the Islamic scholar had misinterpreted Islam.
