Thiruvananthapuram, April 24: Newly inducted CPM central committee member Elamaram Kareem has waded into a controversy over a speech in which he allegedly insulted disabled persons.

Kareem, who was the industries minister in the previous Left government, faced a barrage of protests and was forced to tender an apology.

Speaking at the inauguration of a people's march organised by the Citu-affiliated Kerala State Road Transport Corporation Employees' Association in Kasargode district in the state's north yesterday, Kareem touched upon the financial crisis in the corporation and blamed it on the decisions of ministers to hand out doles to various sections.

"Every minister wants to announce some dole or other - one (announces free travel) for the blind, then another for the deaf, next minister for those who are limping, another for LKG students and then for UKG students... Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan (current transport minister) didn't find anything else, so he announced (free travel) for students till higher secondary," Kareem told the gathering.

As his comments led to a flurry of protests, mostly on social media, Kareem was forced to tender an "unconditional apology". In a Facebook post today, Kareem said he had not intended to insult disabled people in any way.

"I was only trying to explain that it is the state government's irresponsible attitude of announcing free travel for various groups to win people's applause and not paying KSRTC to make this up that was pushing the corporation into severe loss.

"Remarks about differently abled people which came up during this explanation and caused them hurt were not deliberate. It should not have happened. If it did hurt anyone, I offer unconditional apologies," he said in the post.

Kareem added that the criticism would help him work more responsibly as a member of a party that stood by the disabled.

Kareem, 61, who began his political career in the trade union, was elevated to the CPM central committee at the just-concluded party congress in Visakhapatnam.