Aam Aadmi Party's Kumar Vishwas (File photo)
The Aam Aadmi Party office in Cochin was vandalised on Monday allegedly by Youth Congress workers protesting against AAP leader
Kumar Vishwas's remarks on nurses from Kerala during a stage show in 2009. An effigy of the 43-year-old poet-turned-politician was also burnt by the protesters, which included members from a local nurses' forum.
In a YouTube video clip that has now gone viral, Mr Vishwas is heard saying, "Earlier nurses used to come from Kerala, kali-peeli (dark skinned), one would naturally feel like calling them sister. Many such girls don't put their pictures on Facebook because of this reason since they don't know what to expect."
Binu, who has been studying nursing for six years, said, "These comments can only be made by uncultured and uncivilised people. Discrimination against nurses has become common these days."
"This is not just a remark against women from Kerala, but against all women. Kumar Vishwas is a poet and writer but look at his mentality. Are these the kind of people we are going to elect as our leaders?" activist Sandhya said.
The Congress, which props up the AAP government in Delhi, accused Mr Vishwas of making offensive remarks against "thousands of Malayali nurses."
Mr Vishwas' comments, however, turned out to be an embarrassment for the ruling Congress-led UDF government with the opposition mocking the party leadership and saying that it will be swept away "with a broom" at the Centre.
Since the YouTube videos going viral, sections of Information Technology Act have also been slapped on the AAP leader who has been accused by party colleague Mallika Sarabhai of making misogynist and anti-minority comments.
Last week, a complaint was filed against the poet-turned-politician alleging that he had hurt Muslim sentiments with objectionable comments on Muharram at a Kavi Sammelan or poets' gathering.