Ramya Haridas, the young Kerala Congress leader contesting the Lok Sabha polls, has lodged a police complaint against a CPM veteran for making a distasteful reference to the ice cream parlour sex scandal of the ’90s while speaking publicly about her.

Faced with outrage, the CPM tried to put a political spin on Left Democratic Front convener A. Vijayaraghavan’s comment and even attempted to brazen it out by making further uncharitable insinuations.

Vijayaraghavan, 63, had told a political convention at Ponnani in Malappuram district on Monday while referring to Ramya’s meeting with Indian Union Muslim League leader P.K. Kunhalikutty: “She visited Kunhalikutty after being named as a (Congress) candidate. I don’t know what will happen to her now.”

Kunhalikutty had initially been an accused in the ice cream parlour sex scam, in which a brothel was being run from an ice cream parlour at Kozhikode with political patronage, but was acquitted of all charges. The names of many politicians had cropped up in connection with the scam, which rocked Kerala in the late ’90s.

Ramya, a Youth Congress national coordinator and tribal rights activist who has received overwhelming support in crowdfunding initiatives to fund her campaign, on Tuesday evening lodged a police complaint against Vijayaraghavan for character assassination.

“People who make such comments must realise that I too come from a family,” Ramya told reporters.

The 32-year-old has been handpicked by Congress president Rahul Gandhi to take on P.K. Biju of the CPM in the Alathur constituency.

“I am from a very ordinary family. I reached this stage in my life overcoming so many challenges,” Ramya said, reflecting on her socio-economic background. The daughter of a farm labourer, Ramya has struggled a lot in life and ekes out a living by imparting singing and dancing lessons.

The Congress is planning to lodge a complaint with the Election Commission against Vijayaraghavan and also initiate a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act since Ramya is a Dalit.

Kerala Congress president Mullapally Ramachandran described Vijayaraghavan’s comments as “anti-women” and pledged to file a case.

“We are proud of Ramya, a young leader who has achieved so much in such a short time by dint of her hard work. The LDF convener’s statement is highly condemnable,” Ramachandran said.

The leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Ramesh Chennithala, demanded to know what action the LDF government would take against Vijayaraghavan, who claimed his statement had been “misinterpreted”.

“Is the government ready to lodge a case against Vijayaraghavan for his insensitive comment against a woman?” asked Chennithala.

The LDF, however, didn’t find anything wrong with the comment.

CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan dismissed the issue, trying to give it political colour.

“There is no need to put words in his (Vijayaraghavan’s) mouth. He only made a political statement. Usually League (IUML) leaders go calling on Congress leaders. But now Congress leaders are going to meet League leaders. That’s what he said,” said Balakrishnan, suggesting a fall in the Congress’s fortunes that had forced it to approach a smaller party.

Minister G. Sudhakaran made a suggestion on the lines of Vijayaraghavan’s comment.

“I don’t think he said anything with wrong intensions. If they question his intent, then we have to assume that the lady and Kunhalikutty have some ‘problems’. But I am not taking it that way,” Sudhakaran said.

Vijayaraghavan told reporters on Tuesday that his remarks had been misinterpreted.

“It is not our approach to launch personal attacks on any candidate. We are only opposing political stands. Naturally there will be some references in speeches. Some people have tried to misinterpret what I said. Such misinterpretations have nothing to do with what I intended. I am a person with a lot of love and respect (for others),” he said.