The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have rounded on Kerala Transport Minister C.P. John for allegedly suggesting that a significant section of women in the State were “pretending to be poor” to avail themselves of free-of-charge travel on Kerala State Road Transport Corporation’s (KSRTC) ordinary-class services under the United Democratic Front (UDF) government’s flagship Priyadarshini free travel (women empowerment) scheme.

Notably, Mr John’s controversial remarks came at the State conference of the Kerala Bus Transport Association (KBTA), a trade body of private bus owners in the State, which vehemently opposes ticketless travel for women on KSRTC buses, citing a crippling drop in ticket collection revenues, in Palakkad on Monday (August 3, 2026).

Mr John noted that the same women “who do not have money and scramble to travel free on KSRTC buses send their children to expensive private schools.” He remarked that a “remarkable set of histrionic skills is necessary for a rich person to act poor.” He added that, as an individual “knowledgeable about behavioural science”, he was “confounded by such baffling manners peculiar to Keralites.”

For one, Mr John said, the same segment of women shun private hospitals. He said they “take their parents and husbands to crowded government hospitals” wherein patients and caretakers were often forced to sleep rough on verandahs.

Minister’s clarification

The comments sparked off a storm, prompting Mr John to later clarify his statement on Tuesday (August 4, 2026). Mr John denied that he had insinuated that women availing themselves of free travel on KSRTC buses were “mimicking poverty.” In contrast, he claimed that he had spotlighted the “poignancy of economic hardship and sadness of daily deprivations of life” faced by a large segment of homemakers in Kerala.

“(Congress leader) Rahul Gandhi opened society’s eyes to their privation by announcing the Priyadarshini scheme. I had stressed that financial hardship, and not loyalty to KSRTC, forced women to avail of the free travel benefit”, he said.

However, Mr John’s protestations appeared not to help the UDF government put the lid on the political controversy that followed. Several pro-CPI(M) and BJP social media handles assailed Mr John’s comments as “misogynistic” and “pandering to the predatory public health sector by belittling government hospitals.”

P.K. Sreemathi, All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) leader and CPI(M) Central committee member, said the UDF government’s “denial of poverty is as worrying as its attempt to demean women” who avail themselves of the scheme. Ms Sreemathi demanded that Mr John retract the “patriarchal, sexist and sanctimonious judgment of women.”

She alleged that Mr John had “overlooked the social reality” that homemakers, even those from middle-class backgrounds, scrimp on expenses and marshal whatever resources they can to ensure their children’s future and the family’s welfare.

Karamana Jayan, BJP’s Thiruvananthapuram district president, wrote on Facebook that Mr John had insulted Kerala women and should resign from the Cabinet.

Congress defends John

However, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) general secretary Deepthi Mary Varghese sought to defend Mr John by stating that the Minister had highlighted the scheme as “emblematic of the UDF’s profound respect for women.”

Published - August 04, 2026 03:35 pm IST