<p>Union Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs and senior Congress leader Vayalar Ravi sparked a furore with his sexist remarks against a woman journalist when he was asked about the Congress stance on Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien, who is facing rape charge. <br /></p>.<p><br />He told a young woman journalist: “ Why are you pestering me on Kurien issue? Have you anything personal against him? Did he do anything to you? The last question in Malayalam and in a lewd tone had brought the girl almost to tears.<br /><br />Ravi was in his home town of Alappuzha to review his Local Area Development fund spending. The trainee journalist, who joined the recently launched channel a few months back, went to the government guest house where the meeting was held to take a few bytes on Congress stance on Kurein.<br /><br />Later, the channel aired the episode stirring a hornet’s nest. Women journalists, activists and general public are up in arms against Ravi’s rude behaviour. <br /><br />They have demanded a public apology from Ravi.<br /><br />Having realised that the issue was snowballing into a big controversy, Ravi tendered his apology to the journalist and the TV channel. Though the incident has become a big issue, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is trying to play it down.<br /><br />When Opposition leader V S Achuthanadan raised the issue in Assembly, Chandy said that Ravi had already apologised and there was no point in discussing it again. In his apology, Ravi said: “I am sorry for the comment. I have already conveyed my regret for the remark to the TV channel.” <br /><br />“I have been misunderstood. I always joke with journalists. There is nothing deliberate. Everyone took it as a joke,” he claimed. Meanwhile, the BJP slammed Ravi for making such remarks and demanded a public apology from him. <br /><br />“We condemn the behaviour of Vayalar Ravi towards a lady journalist. It is extremely unfortunate that he has misused his authority and position to intimidate a journalist who was only asking a question which fell within the ambit of her professional responsibility,” BJP Mahila Morcha chief Smriti Irani said.</p>
<p>Union Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs and senior Congress leader Vayalar Ravi sparked a furore with his sexist remarks against a woman journalist when he was asked about the Congress stance on Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien, who is facing rape charge. <br /></p>.<p><br />He told a young woman journalist: “ Why are you pestering me on Kurien issue? Have you anything personal against him? Did he do anything to you? The last question in Malayalam and in a lewd tone had brought the girl almost to tears.<br /><br />Ravi was in his home town of Alappuzha to review his Local Area Development fund spending. The trainee journalist, who joined the recently launched channel a few months back, went to the government guest house where the meeting was held to take a few bytes on Congress stance on Kurein.<br /><br />Later, the channel aired the episode stirring a hornet’s nest. Women journalists, activists and general public are up in arms against Ravi’s rude behaviour. <br /><br />They have demanded a public apology from Ravi.<br /><br />Having realised that the issue was snowballing into a big controversy, Ravi tendered his apology to the journalist and the TV channel. Though the incident has become a big issue, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is trying to play it down.<br /><br />When Opposition leader V S Achuthanadan raised the issue in Assembly, Chandy said that Ravi had already apologised and there was no point in discussing it again. In his apology, Ravi said: “I am sorry for the comment. I have already conveyed my regret for the remark to the TV channel.” <br /><br />“I have been misunderstood. I always joke with journalists. There is nothing deliberate. Everyone took it as a joke,” he claimed. Meanwhile, the BJP slammed Ravi for making such remarks and demanded a public apology from him. <br /><br />“We condemn the behaviour of Vayalar Ravi towards a lady journalist. It is extremely unfortunate that he has misused his authority and position to intimidate a journalist who was only asking a question which fell within the ambit of her professional responsibility,” BJP Mahila Morcha chief Smriti Irani said.</p>