PILs seeking action against M M Mani dismissed

Kochi: The High Court Wednesday dismissed two PILs, seeking action against Power Minister M M Mani for violating the oath of office by allegedly making unsavoury remarks against women at a recent public meeting in Idukki.

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Navaniti Prasad Singh and Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan said it cannot sanctify or disapprove the act of the minister.

“The court cannot pre-empt action on the basis of his speech,” it said.

The court while dismissing the PILs seeking action against Mani, however, said the petitioners could approach the appropriate authority, seeking action against the minister.

One of the petitioners had sought a court-monitored probe into the allegations that Mani made the “sexually-loaded, anti-women statements” at a public meeting.

The state counsel had earlier opposed the plea,contending that the petition was not maintainable as the petitioner ought to have approached police or a magisterial court for a probe into the matter.

The counsel had denied that the minister made any derogatory remarks against women.

The petitioners had alleged that Mani had used abusive language against women leaders and activists of “Pembilai Orumai”, a group of plantation workers in Idukki district, who had organised a month-long stir in Munnar last year.

“The respondent is a habitual offender and regularly uses abusive language and sexually-loaded statements, especially against the women,” one of the petitioners had said.

Mani, however, had refuted the charge against him on the floor of the assembly, saying he had not used any offensive language against women.

“I have not used the word woman even once in my 17 minute speech,” which, he claimed, had been edited by the media, a section of which was against him.