Thiruvananthapuram

Defending his recent remarks on preserving traditional food practices, Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Wednesday rejected allegations that he had made a sexist statement, saying his comments had been selectively interpreted.

Responding to a question at a press conference after the state Cabinet meeting, Satheesan said he had merely urged mothers to pass on their unique culinary traditions to their children and, where appropriate, also to daughters-in-law joining the family, so that such culinary heritage would not disappear.

"My first point was that these traditions should be passed on to children. Does children mean only daughters? Certainly not," he said, adding, that there was nothing anti-women about suggesting that daughters-in-law could also learn such family recipes.

Satheesan recalled that although his mother had died 27 years ago, the taste of the food she cooked for him remained etched in his memory.

The chief minister accused a section of the media of taking his remarks out of context and attempting to manufacture a controversy.

"If you want to criticise me, there are many issues on which you can do so. Do not invent something that I never said. It will only affect your credibility," Satheesan said.

During a programme in Chengannur last week, Satheesan had said that mothers should pass on traditional food practices to their sons' wives, triggering criticism on social media, where several users described the remarks as "anti-women".

Addressing the Pampa Festival of Dialogues, he had said, "I have a complaint against some mothers. They have a special talent for preparing certain traditional dishes that only they know how to make. But they do not pass those recipes on to their children."

"At the very least, they should teach those dishes either to their own children or to the person who later becomes their son's wife. That way, the uniqueness of those dishes can be carried forward to the next generation," he said.

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Former General Education Minister and senior CPI(M) leader V Sivankutty criticised the chief minister's remarks, saying they were contrary to the values of gender equality promoted through Kerala's school curriculum.