Kochi: The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Monday suspended Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil from the party’s primary membership after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct.
The stern party action comes days after Mamkootathil resigned as the chief of the state Youth Congress in the wake of the allegations.
“The Congress views the allegations against Rahul seriously. Without waiting for police complaints or an FIR, he resigned from his post as Youth Congress chief,” KPCC president Sunny Joseph told reporters in Kannur district. “The party has officially not received any complaints (against Rahul) so far. Yet, we took tough action. There is no such precedent in any party in Kerala. As a party, we strongly believe that the self-respect, dignity, and safety of women must be upheld. That’s why, we have decided to suspend Rahul from the party’s primary membership”
Even as the ruling CPI(M) and the BJP called for the legislator to quit from his post, the Congress maintained there was no “logic” or “question of morality” in such demands as no police complaints has been registered against him.
“There have been complaints and even FIRs filed against prominent persons in those parties for (sexual assaults of women) in the past. Yet, no action was taken. So they don’t have the moral authority to demand his resignation,” Joseph said.
{{/usCountry}}“There have been complaints and even FIRs filed against prominent persons in those parties for (sexual assaults of women) in the past. Yet, no action was taken. So they don’t have the moral authority to demand his resignation,” Joseph said.
{{/usCountry}}Though the Opposition party has not requested Mamkootathil to quit his post as legislator, he will no longer be part of the Congress legislative grouping in the assembly, Joseph added.
The allegations against Mamkootathil first came to light last week when actor Rini Ann George accused a “young prominent politician” of sending her obscene messages and inviting her to a hotel room. Though George did not name the politician, protests by the BJP and CPI(M) alleged that she was referring to the Congress MLA.
Subsequently, multiple people raised similar sexual misconduct allegations. Mamkootathil has denied these allegations. An audio clip also made the rounds in which the MLA was puportedly heard coercing a woman to abort the baby she was carrying and even threatening to kill her at one point. When asked about the clip, the MLA had lightly remarked that in ‘today’s day and age, such audio clips could be manufactured and distorted.’
Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan, who was widely regarded as a mentor to Mamkootathil, said the decision to strip the MLA of the party’s membership in the absence of formal complaints was an example of the Congress’s “rigour and determination”.
“We took action against someone who was very close to us. Without trying to protect him in any way, we took the decision to suspend him to protect women’s self-respect,” Satheesan said.
However, former state Congress president K Muraleedharan adopted a sterner approach to the controversy. He claimed that this was just the “second stage” of the disciplinary action against Mamkootathil and that more steps would be taken in the event of more complaints.
“He (Rahul) can decide whether he wants to resign as MLA or not. We are not afraid of any by-election in Palakkad if that happens,” he said.
During Monday’s press conference, KPCC chief Joseph did not answer questions on whether the party will initiate an internal inquiry in the absence of formal complaints against the MLA.
Mamkootathil has yet to respond over the party’s decision to suspend him.
CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan alleged this was the most ‘rotten chapter’ in the history of Congress. “Rahul must resign. That’s the public sentiment,” he said.
BJP leader C Krishnakumar said that a person accused of inappropriate behaviour towards women cannot be imposed on society. “Rahul being suspended from the Congress is their internal matter. But why should such a person be imposed on the society, on our women?” he asked.