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Who is Rahul Mamkootathil? Kerala Congress MLA accused of misconduct by actor, writer
Rahul Mamkootathil resigned as Youth Congress president following allegations of inappropriate behavior from actress Rini Ann George and writer Honey Bhaskaran.
Rahul Mamkootathil, Congress MLA from Kerala's Palakkad, resigned from the post of Youth Congress president on Thursday over allegations of misbehaviour levelled against him by a Malayalam actress and a writer.
Actress Rini Ann George, without taking any name, accused "a young leader" of a well-known political party of misbehaviour. While Rini Ann George did not drop any name, BJP and the CPI(M) alleged Rahul Mamkootathil was the one she was talking about.
Writer Honey Bhaskaran levelled similar allegations in a Facebook post, in which she alleged that she had no personal acquaintance with Rahul until June 9 when he slid into her Instagram DMs and initiated a conversation about her trip to Sri Lanka.
Rahul Mamkootathil called the woman actor his “close friend” and claimed that she did not name him in the allegations or filed a police complaint against him.
Who is Rahul Mamkootathil
– Born on November 12, 1989, in Mundapally, Adoor, of Kerala's Pathanamthitta district Rahul Mamkootathil, also known as Rahul BR, serves as the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Palakkad constituency, according to askkerala.com.
– Rahul Mamkootathil, a vocal face of the party on television debates, assumed office on December 2 2024.
– Rahul’s political roots trace back to student politics, with him joining the Kerala Students Union (KSU) in 2006. He reportedly held key positions like KSU Adoor president, KSU state general secretary, and later, leadership roles in the Youth Congress as well, including state general secretary, state secretary, and state president of the Indian Youth Congress (Kerala) in 2023
– In the November 2024 Palakkad by-election, Rahul Mamkootathil contested on behalf of the Congress and won by a margin of 18,840 votes, defeating the BJP candidate. His victory is considered one of the largest in the constituency’s recent history. Palakkad byelection was necessitated following the resignation of Congress leader Shafi Parambil.
– Rahul Makootathil has a Master’s degree in English Literature from IGNOU, and another MA degree in History from St Stephen’s College of Delhi University, according to information on the web. He is currently pursuing a PhD at Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU), Kottayam.
What are the allegations against him?
– Malayalam actress Rini Ann George spoke to the press in Kochi on Wednesday and alleged that “a prominent youth leader from a well-known political party in Kerala” has been inappropriate with her for three years now. She claimed to have complained to senior members of the party, only for them to ignore her pleas. She did not name anyone in her allegations. Read more on what she said here
– On Thursday, writer Honey Bhaskaran took to Facebook and made similar allegations, saying that on June 9 he sent her a message on Instagram during her Sri Lanka trip.
– Honey Bhaskaran said the conversation began with Rahul Mamkootathil responding to one of her photos and inquiring about her travel plans, before steering the discussion toward political predictions related to the Nilambur byelection. Honey stated that she sensed inappropriate undertones in the conversation and chose not to continue the exchange.
– She further alleged that
Rahul Mamkootathil later “shamelessly” misrepresented the interaction to others within the Youth Congress, claiming she had initiated the chat and implying that such behavior was typical of her.
– She further alleged that Congress MP Shafi Parambil has been protecting Rahul Mamkootathil. "Many people have complained to Shafi, but he never took action. I am not considering legal steps now, but if Rahul has the courage, let him file a defamation case against me," Honey Bhaskaran said in the post in Malayalam.
