Kerala CM Office Denies Deleting Facebook Reel on Mufti Remarks, Calls It Technical Glitch

The Kerala Chief Minister's Office (CMO) has denied allegations that a Facebook reel containing Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan's criticism of a prominent cleric's views on women was removed following a meeting with Islamic scholars. The CMO described the deletion as a technical error, asserting that the content remains available as part of the full press conference on the CM's official Facebook page.

The clarification comes after the BJP's Kerala unit shared a poster depicting the Chief Minister kneeling before Grand Mufti Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar, insinuating that the post was pulled to protect his position. The CMO termed such claims "untrue and incorrect," stressing that the reel was an extension of Instagram content and encountered a glitch on Facebook.

The controversy began when the Grand Mufti, speaking at a Hubbul Rasool conference in Kochi, said that women entering the public sphere would lead to "great destruction" and that Islam prescribes purdah to prevent it. He likened women to a gold necklace kept in a cupboard, contrasting it with stone grinders left on the roadside, and cited a Quranic verse to argue that women should remain confined to their homes.

Chief Minister Satheesan had earlier rejected these remarks, calling them a "19th century mindset" and affirming that his government and party do not agree with any stance that confines women to domestic roles. He argued that the cleric's interpretation misrepresents Islam and that women should participate fully in public life.

Following the CM's criticism, a delegation of Islamic scholars met Satheesan to convey their reservations, claiming the Mufti's comments were distorted. The CMO maintains that the meeting had no bearing on the reel's deletion, and that the Chief Minister's position remains unchanged.