'Is He Sick?': Outrage As Video Of Congress Leader Cherian Philip Forcefully Trying To Hug Female MLA In Kerala Goes Viral

Thiruvananthapuram: Outrage erupted after a video of 71-year-old Congress leader Cherian Philip purportedly forcefully trying to hug his female colleague- Kollam MLA designate Bindu Krishna- went viral on social media.

The incident took place at the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram. The viral video showed Krishna, who recently won elections from Kollam, arriving at the headquarters and being greeted by local media and others present on the premises.

Krishna was seeing greeting people by folding her hands in a 'namaste' or offering a handshake. Likewise, she extended her hands as Cherian Philip came before her.

However, Philip ignored her hand and tired to hug her as she looked visibly uncomfortable and resisted his embrace. Philip ignored her rigid posture, pulling her into a hug she clearly didn't want. At last, Bindu Krishna pushed him away and moved forward to greet others on the premises.

The incident sparked an outrage on social media, with a netizen saying, “What this guy is doing, is he really sick?"

Sharing the video on Facebook, Sreeja Neyyattinkara said, “How vulgar is that...There is nothing wrong with a man and a woman hugging in a public place with mutual consent. But what happened here is that when a woman, a public servant and representative, shakes hands, the man forcibly grabs her by the shoulders without her permission. Even after she pushes him away, he tries to forcefully hug her."

The video also sparked a debate on female safety, with one saying, “Even an MLA is not safe in the state." Several people have demanded his suspension from the party.

This is not an isolated controversy involving Cherian Philip. In 2015, he received widespread criticism for suggesting that female Congress leaders got party ticket for elections in return for sexual favours.

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