Former Kollam MP and one of Kerala’s three Congress working presidents, K Sudhakaran, made shockingly sexist remarks against women and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan when speaking at a Congress party event in Kasargod on Wednesday. The Indian Express reports that he took aim at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, stating that his governance showed that he was “worse than a woman.”

While inaugurating a picketing event in Kasargod, Sudhakaran said, “When workers of the CPM eulogised Pinarayi Vijayan as a man with two hearts, even we thought after becoming CM, he would do something like a man. Not only has he failed to act like a man, the reality shows us that he has proved to be worse than a woman.”

The Congress in Kerala had arranged picketing events in front of Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram and outside all district collectorates in all 14 districts on Wednesday, in order to protest the CPI(M)-led government’s alleged inadequate action in rehabilitation efforts since the disastrous August 2017 floods in Kerala. It was at the launch of the picketing event in Kasargod that Sudhakaran made the keenly sexist statement.

The New Indian Express reports that K Sudhakaran had, in an October 2018 press conference, made more objectionable remarks about women when he called menstruation impure whilst delivering remarks on the Sabarimala issue. K Sudhakaran has been leading the Congress’ protests against women’s entry to Sabarimala temple, and has stated that the temple’s traditions should not be disturbed in order to facilitate the entry of women of all ages.

Earlier in January, he had also reportedly made fun of the vagina-shaped entrance to the Arpo Arthavam event that aimed to dispel taboos menstruation, saying that the entrance way had been created for Pinarayi Vijayan, who did not end up attending the event.