Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee acting president MM Hassan on Tuesday his comments on menstruation from a day ago were distorted by the media. Hassan on Monday had said menstruating women should not enter places of worship because, according to him, menstrual blood is impure. MM Hassan not only believes that a woman’s body becomes impure when she menstruates every month, he thinks there is a scientific explanation behind the stigma, though he appears unable to describe exactly what it is.

“There is a scientific reason behind the instruction that women should enter during this period. It should not be given other interpretations,” the senior leader had said. “During this period, Muslim women do not observe fast. My opinion is that women should not go to temple, mosque or church when their body is impure.”

“My remark about impurity is not my opinion.. I only said (about) the social condition prevailing in the society”, he said while addressing reporters in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. When he was asked to comment on the ban on women between the ages of 10 and 50 at Sabarimala temple, Hassan said political parties respected “the customs and traditions of religions”, PTI reported.

Hassan is related to former chief minister Oommen Chandy. He was reportedly given the post of interim president of the party’s unit in the state because of pressure from Chandy. VM Sudheeran resigned from the post because of ill-health on March 26, reported ANI.