THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After a hiatus, U Prathibha MLA has come up with a criticism that the cowards in the party are working against her. "I'm not mentioning their names because they are cowards. I respect those who attack directly," she said. Prathibha was speaking at the Pancharatna Lecture Series at the Surya Festival.

"When a woman grows up, those who speak against her are weak. I am not going to name the people who tried to defeat me in the election. They know who I'm referring to. Respect is for those who comment directly. I won't comment against the party. I would speak against individuals. There have also been attacks on women, including Indira Gandhi and Jayalalithaa. I'll suffocate if I don't state my opinion. I am not a feminist. I've been criticized for going to temples and reading the Ramayana. I am not worried about being a woman even when there were setbacks", Prathibha said.

U Prathibha left social media last month after a controversial Facebook post that the vote leak in Kayamkulam constituency was not discussed anywhere. She left Facebook after the leadership asked Prathibha for an explanation in a Facebook post.