Congress mouthpiece editorial defending Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil will be corrected: KPCC chief Sunny Joseph

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph on Saturday said that an editorial in the party mouthpiece in Kerala defending Rahul Mamkootathil was not its stand and instructions have been issued to correct it.

The editorial -- titled as ''Let those who have not committed any sin throw stones' -- claimed that Palakkad MLA Mamkootathil was a victim of a CPI(M) conspiracy to discredit the party in view of the upcoming local body polls.

Following criticism from various quarters that the Congress and its mouthpiece were trying to protect the Palakkad MLA, Joseph said that what was said in the article was against the party stand and ideology.

"Instructions have been issued to correct it. It was something which should not have come in the party mouthpiece," he said.

Joseph also said that Mamkootathil was suspended from the party with the complete concurrence of all the Congress leaders in the state.

"Nobody has disagreed with the decision we have taken," he emphasised.

On the other hand, senior party leader K Muraleedharan contended that the editorial was the party stand.

He said that the editorial was not justifying or protecting Mamkootathil, instead it was intending to point out that the CPI(M), which has not taken any action against Left MLA Mukesh who is accused of sexual assault, was demanding that Mamkootathil should resign on moral grounds.

"This stand of the CPI(M) is what the editorial aims to highlight. Neither the paper nor the Congress is justifying what Mamkootathil did. What the paper said is the party stand," Muraleedharan said.

He further said that the party had suspended the Palakkad MLA right after the allegations against him surfaced, but the CPI(M) which is advising Congress about morality should ask its people's representatives to lead by example.

Muraleedharan said that Mamkootathil will not be allowed back in the party till he proves his innocence.

He also said that the Congress was not against women raising such issues which harm their self respect.

"But, if such issues are used for political gains, then we will respond against it," he asserted.

Earlier in the day, former KPCC chief K Sudhakaran said that what Mamkootathil did was "wrong" and he had "scolded" the Palakkad MLA over the phone for his actions.

Sudhakaran said that he has no personal interest in Mamkootathil, but before condemning a people's representative all facts and aspects should be taken into consideration.

"Let the proceedings against him continue. If he is punished, let him suffer. No political protection will be given to him," he said.

Regarding Congress MP Rajmohan Unnithan's recent remarks about the Palakkad MLA, Sudhakaran said he will not respond to such comments which are made without any thought.

Meanwhile, CPI(M)'s student wing, the Student Federation of India (SFI), protested against the Palakkad MLA by putting up his 'wanted' posters, asking whether he has been seen anywhere.

Visuals on TV channels showed SFI activists putting up his 'wanted' posters at various places in Palakkad and distributing it among the public saying that police should be informed on seeing him as he has allegedly sexually assaulted several women.

A case was registered against Mamkoottathil on Friday after a woman accused him of sexual assault and forcing her to terminate a pregnancy.

Mamkoottathil denied the allegations against him, calling them politically motivated, in an anticipatory bail petition filed in a court on the same day.

The court will consider the anticipatory bail petition on Monday.

The complainant had approached Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan with her grievance on Thursday, after which the case was registered.

As per the FIR, Mamkoottathil assaulted the complainant and raped her on multiple occasions.

A special investigation team has been constituted, and a lookout circular has been issued to prevent the accused from leaving the country.

Mamkoottathil was suspended from the primary membership of the Congress on August 25.

He had earlier resigned as Youth Congress state president after Malayalam actress Rini Ann George accused a young leader of misbehaviour, prompting protests by the BJP and the DYFI, the youth wing of the CPI(M).

Subsequently, several women and a transgender person also levelled allegations against him. Mamkoottathil was elected as MLA in November last year in a bypoll to the Palakkad seat, following the election of former MLA Shafi Parambil to the Lok Sabha from Vatakara.