The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Monday suspended Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil from the party’s primary membership following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct by women. The move comes days after Mamkootathil resigned as the state Youth Congress chief amid the controversy.
KPCC president Sunny Joseph said the party acted swiftly to uphold women’s dignity and safety, despite not receiving any formal police complaints or FIRs. “The Congress views the allegations seriously. Without waiting for legal complaints, he resigned from his post as Youth Congress chief. We decided to suspend him to protect women’s self-respect,” Joseph told reporters in Kannur.
While the ruling CPI(M) and BJP demanded Mamkootathil’s resignation as MLA, the Congress maintained that no such step was required in the absence of formal complaints. Joseph noted that other parties had previously failed to act even when complaints or FIRs were filed against their members, undermining their moral authority to call for his resignation.
The allegations first surfaced last week when actor Rini Ann George accused a “young prominent politician” of sending obscene messages and soliciting her to meet at a hotel. Though she did not name the politician, the BJP and CPI(M) identified him as the Congress MLA. Subsequent allegations have emerged from multiple sources, including an audio clip in which Mamkootathil is purportedly heard coercing a woman to terminate her pregnancy. The MLA has denied the claims, suggesting audio clips could be fabricated.
Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan praised the party’s action, saying it demonstrated the Congress’s commitment to protecting women even when the accused is a close associate. Former state Congress president K. Muraleedharan indicated that more disciplinary action could follow if further complaints emerge.
CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan called the controversy the “most rotten chapter” in Congress’s history, urging Mamkootathil to resign, while BJP leader C. Krishnakumar questioned why someone accused of sexual misconduct should continue to hold public office.
Mamkootathil has yet to comment on the party’s decision. The Congress also clarified that he will no longer be part of the party’s legislative grouping in the assembly, though he remains an MLA.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)