Speaking to reporters, CPM State Secretary P Shanmugam said the remarks were "obscene" and "disgusting" and deserved strong condemnation. He said political leaders, especially those holding responsible positions such as the Leader of the Opposition, had a greater responsibility to uphold political decency while addressing the public.

Shanmugam said women had repeatedly been subjected to derogatory references in political discourse over the years and stressed that such practices must come to a permanent end. He said political parties should ensure that their members refrain from making such remarks.

Referring to the Left parties, he said they had consistently upheld women's rights and approached such issues with seriousness. He alleged that some parties had people who routinely made such comments at public meetings, and said party leaderships should first discipline their own members. He added that if anyone from the Left parties made such remarks, they would not be retained in the party.

CPI State Secretary M Veerapandian said social reformer Periyar had championed women's liberation, while poet Subramania Bharati, Bharathidasan, Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram and Tamil cultural traditions had celebrated womanhood. He said no form of political discourse should cross the line by insulting or humiliating women, adding that this remained the CPI's firm stand.