Published Oct 15, 2026 | 11:18 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 15, 2026 | 11:18 AM
R Sreelekha.
Synopsis: Congress leader KS Sabarinathan, the UDF parliamentary party leader in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, condemned the comments as derogatory and irresponsible. He also filed a complaint with the Thiruvananthapuram Police Commissioner, alleging that Sreelekha had personally insulted the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Sabarinathan demanded a public apology and sought clarification from the BJP leadership on whether it endorsed her remarks.
BJP Thiruvananthapuram Corporation councillor and former DGP R. Sreelekha has landed in controversy over remarks likening Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
On Wednesday, 14 October, she alleged that Rahul’s conduct during protests in Delhi is similar to that of the agitation of a person under the influence of an excessive dose of narcotics.
The remarks, made at a BJP protest meeting in Punalur, Kollam, have drawn sharp criticism from Congress leaders, with complaints seeking action against her.
Sreelekha reportedly mocked Gandhi and other opposition leaders for taking part in protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Defending the revision, she said electoral roll revisions had been part of the democratic process since Independence and alleged that the exercise was necessary to identify infiltrators.
She also questioned the opposition’s protests and accused leaders of littering Delhi with plastic bottles.
Referring to their demonstrations, she asked whether it was appropriate for elected representatives to stage protests in such circumstances.
Also Read: A final Mandi, a jail visit: Kerala boy dies by suicide days after alleged custodial torture
Congress leader KS Sabarinathan, the UDF parliamentary party leader in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, condemned the comments as derogatory and irresponsible.
He also filed a complaint with the Thiruvananthapuram Police Commissioner, alleging that Sreelekha had personally insulted the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
Sabarinathan demanded a public apology and sought clarification from the BJP leadership on whether it endorsed her remarks. He warned that legal action could follow if she failed to apologise.
Youth Congress state vice-president Vishnu Sunil Pandalam has separately approached the State Police Chief seeking registration of a case over the speech.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala also criticised Sreelekha, calling on her to withdraw the remarks and apologise to Gandhi. He said her political affiliations were her own choice but reminded her that she had previously occupied a senior position in the Kerala Police. Such statements, he said, undermined the reputation associated with that service.
The controversy comes amid recent speculation about Sreelekha’s political future, following earlier reports that she might quit as a councillor and join the Congress.
She subsequently rejected the reports as baseless in a statement on her YouTube channel, reaffirming her allegiance to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP and declaring that she would remain with the party until her death.
At the same time, the latest objectionable remark is learned to be for appeasing the BJP leadership and to convey them that she has no holds barred approach when it comes to attacking Congress.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Dileep V Kumar)
