Thiruvananthapuram, August 4, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Kerala Transport Minister C.P. John on Tuesday defended his remarks on the state government’s Priyadarshini free bus travel scheme for women, saying his comments were aimed at highlighting the financial struggles faced by many women and were not a criticism of the welfare initiative.
Rejecting the criticism surrounding his statement, John said he stood by his remarks and maintained that they had been taken out of context.
“There are women who do not have the financial means even to travel. The tragedy is that the political leadership, including myself, failed to understand their poverty. That was the point I was making,” John said.
The minister also clarified that he never suggested that people in Kerala were pretending to be poor. He said those objecting to his comments should have sought an explanation before turning the issue into a controversy.
The controversy began after John, while addressing the Kerala Bus Transport Association’s state conference, remarked that women were crowding loss-making Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses because travel had become free under the Priyadarshini scheme.
He had also pointed out that some families using free public transport continued to spend on private schools while relying on government hospitals for healthcare.
His remarks triggered criticism from Opposition parties and social media users, who accused him of being insensitive towards women and making broad observations about ordinary families. However, his supporters argued that he was drawing attention to economic hardships that continue to exist despite Kerala’s strong social development indicators.
The controversy has also brought attention to John’s long political career. A former prominent SFI leader and CPI(M) activist during his student days, John left the party in 1986 along with veteran leader M.V. Raghavan after ideological differences.
Following Raghavan’s formation of the Communist Marxist Party (CMP) and its alliance with the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), John remained one of his closest associates and later became an important figure within the UDF.
Despite facing electoral setbacks in the past, John entered the Kerala Assembly this year after winning from one of the state’s prestigious constituencies in the capital city and secured a place in the V.D. Satheesan Cabinet.
His latest remarks have once again placed him at the centre of a political debate, reinforcing his image as a leader known for making forthright statements.
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