Kerala Opposition Leader rejects IUML leader P.M.A. Salam’s line that gender equality is ‘a misbelief’

Kerala's Leader of the Opposition rejects IUML's stance on gender equality, emphasizing Congress' commitment to gender justice.

Kerala’s Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan has rejected the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) State general secretary P.M.A Salam’s claim that gender equality is a mistaken belief.

Speaking to journalists in Malappuram on Thursday (January 30), Mr. Satheesan said Mr. Salam was “entitled to his personal views.”

However, Mr. Satheesan said that the Congress has stood at the forefront of gender justice and equality struggles. “We will not compromise our party’s core values”, he added. 

On Wednesday, Mr. Salam ignited a politically and socially touchy debate by stating that the IUML’s political and social line was gender justice for men and women, not gender equality.

He said he clarified the IUML’s line on the controversial “gender neutral” multi-exercise combination-7 (MEC-7), which has a considerable following among outdoor workout enthusiasts, chiefly in north Kerala, despite doctrinal opposition from leading Muslim clerics and organisations.

The Muslim leaders found fault with the format for allowing men and women to exercise together in public places, “compromising the modesty of women and contravening Islam’s basic tenets”.

The MEC-7 format endured its share of controversies after it became a fad among many physical activity enthusiasts in north Kerala.