Kerala CPM lawmaker M.M. Mani was on Wednesday forced to withdraw his observation that it was the “fate” of an Opposition lawmaker critical of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan that she had become a “widow”, after the Assembly Speaker denounced the comment as “inappropriate and unacceptable”.

The target of Mani’s latest boorish behaviour was Revolutionary Marxist Party lawmaker K.K. Rema, whose husband T.P. Chandrashekaran was hacked to death in 2012 after he broke away from the CPM and formed the RMP.

Several CPM leaders have since been arrested and convicted for the murder that shocked the state and still reverberates in political debates in Kerala.

Mani, who often stokes controversy with his unparliamentary utterances and body language, last week sparked an uproar by commenting on the floor of the House: “A great woman spoke against the chief minister and the Left Democratic Front government. That great woman became a widow, which is her fate. None of us are responsible for it.”

On Wednesday, Assembly Speaker M.B. Rajesh told Mani: “There are certain words that are usually not used in the Assembly. Even if such unparliamentary words are not used, some (other) remarks can (also) be inappropriate and unacceptable. Words generally used in earlier times are considered inappropriate now. The root and meaning of a word is based on its cultural context. The same word need not mean the same in different cultural contexts.”

The Speaker ruled that the Chair would have to expunge the remarks if Mani did not withdraw them. The Opposition also demanded that the comments be expunged.

Mani responded: “I respect the observations made by the Speaker. Although I had tried to clarify my intent on July 13 itself, it got drowned in the din (in the House). Examination of the records will reveal that I did not try to insult anyone. As a communist I should not have used the word ‘fate’. Hence I am withdrawing this comment.”

The Congress jumped into the controversy with Mahila Congress workers carrying a cutout that superimposed Mani’s face on the body of a chimpanzee.

State Congress president K. Sudhakaran justified the action. “Isn’t that his (Mani’s) face? Only his real face can be shown, right? What can we do if that’s his face, apart from taking it up with the creator?”

Sudhakaran, however, soon apologised for his comments after the CPM interpreted the comparison with a chimpanzee as an extreme case of racism and casteism.