New Delhi [India], August 22 (ANI): Former Union minister and BJP leader KJ Alphons on Monday slammed the Indian Union Muslim League and Congress for opposing the Kerala government's gender-neutral policy in schools and extended support to the move by the state administration stating that it would bring "decency" into the classrooms.

PMA Salam, the Kerala general secretary of the IUML had said that it is "dangerous" to let the girls and boys sit together in schools as the children "will lose their focus on education" if the gender-neutral policy is implemented.

Extending support to the IUML's stand on the issue, Congress leader K Muraleedharan said on Sunday that the policy will not lead to gender equality.

"When there was already a system in place which was functioning properly, what was the need to change it? Not everyone would welcome it," he said.

Reacting to the remarks by the Muslim League and Congress, BJP's Alphons said that the two parties had gone back 200 years in their thought process.

"The move of the Kerala government towards gender equality is a good thing. Boys and girls will sit together. They don't need to meet one another as strangers," he said.

"Muslim League which is now gone back 200 years back in its thought process opposed the policy. It is totally unacceptable for them that the boys and girls are sitting together. Congress party which is also part of the UDF in which the Muslim League is a party also said that boys and girls should not sit together.," the BJP leader added.

Alphons further said that with the implementation of the policy, the behaviour of both genders will be much better towards each other.

"I think it is a good process through which decency would be brought into the classrooms. There would be much better behaviour among boys and girls when they sit together and they are accustomed to sitting with each other," he said.

Stating that Kerala is the most literate state in the county, he added that the people have a liberal thought process and the cases of atrocities against women are lesser in comparison to the other states.

"There are very less cases of atrocities against girls comparatively. This entire thought process that boys and girls should not sit together, it is perfectly alright sitting in the same bench and growing up together. That is a natural process," he said. (ANI)