Thiruvananthapuram | A video of a funny expression by Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan to a reporter's query recently regarding his stance on vehicle modifications has gone viral on social media with the hashtag 'pookieCM'.
Satheesan, on Tuesday, explained that it was a young man who asked him that query and out of affection, he showed that expression.
The explanation came during an interaction with someone in his office and the video of the same was aired on TV channels.
In the video, Satheesan can be seen saying that, seeing the reporter's face and appearance, he felt an affection for the young man and showed that expression to convey the message "that don't be worried, it will be taken care of".
"It is a desire that the youth have and I told him we will take care of it," the CM said.
He further said that it was an expression which he would show to his daughter or small kids.
Satheesan said that even his daughter showed him a video of the expression with the hashtag 'pookieCM'.
In GenZ slang, 'pookie' is an affectionate pet name or term of endearment.
Satheesan's viral expression came during a press conference he held here recently after being chosen as CM when a reporter asked him about his stance regarding vehicle modifications.
After making the viral expression, the CM told the reporter that if he has said it will be looked into, he will keep his word.
"We are here to implement what we said. We are here to make the wishes of the public, including the desires of the youth, a reality. We did not say things merely to get votes," he had said in the press conference.
During his Assembly poll campaign, Satheesan had said that safe modifications of vehicles will be permitted.
Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan has come under criticism from sections of social media and even leaders within the Congress after using the caste surname 'Menon' during his swearing-in ceremony, triggering a debate on caste identity and political messaging in the state.
The controversy erupted after users online compared Satheesan's latest oath as Chief Minister with the oath he took as an MLA in 2021.
During his earlier swearing-in in the Assembly, he had identified himself simply as "V D Satheesan". But at the recent ceremony of the new UDF government, he said, "I, Vadassery Damodara Menon Satheesan".
A source close to Satheesan rejected the criticism, saying the Chief Minister had merely used the expanded form of his name during the swearing-in ceremony.
A Congress source said there was a "message" in Satheesan's use of his caste name during the ceremony. It could be seen as an effort to reach out to the Hindu community amid strong criticism from Sangh Parivar organisations and the BJP for backing the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Jamaat-e-Islami in his statements.
The top leadership of two major Hindu caste organisations in Kerala-- the Nair Service Society (NSS), representing the Nair community to which Satheesan belongs, and the numerically strong Ezhava community outfit, the SNDP Yogam-- were not in favour of Satheesan’s selection as Chief Minister.
Some supporters of Satheesan on social media argued that the Chief Minister chose to spell out his full name as a mark of respect to his late father, Damodara Menon, while assuming the state's top office.
Critics argued that the public use of a caste title by the Congress leader contradicted the party's secular and inclusive image.
Congress spokesman in Kerala Jinto John was among the first from within the party to react publicly, though indirectly.
In a Facebook post, he wrote that "even if the punch is slightly less, a Congress without caste tails is more inclusive."
Another spokesman of the Congress, Anoop V R also criticised the move in a lengthy Facebook post, questioning why "Menon" had appeared now when it was absent in Satheesan’s previous oath ceremonies.
Anoop said caste in Kerala continued to function as "social capital and social power" and argued that political leaders should remain sensitive to such symbols.
Referring to Satheesan's public image as a serious reader, Anoop urged the Chief Minister to spend more time reading Dr B R Ambedkar.
Even amid the pressures of official responsibilities, since you find time for reading, you should also find more time to read Ambedkar," he wrote.
A Congress leader said it will be interesting to see what he would use-- V D Satheesan or Vadassery Damodara Menon Satheesan -- while taking the oath as a legislator on Thursday.
