Kerala Congress continues to keep itself away from MLA Rahul Mamkootathil row

Thiruvanananthapuram: The Congress in Kerala on Sunday continued to keep itself away from the controversy surrounding its suspended Pakakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, who is facing police action in a rape case lodged by a woman.

The party maintained that it had already taken all possible action against the legislator.

AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said the Congress has never tried to run away from the issue, while senior leader K Muraleedharan said the party has nothing to say about Mamkootathil's activities as he is under suspension.

KPCC president Sunny Joseph and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan have already made the party's stand clear on the matter, Venugopal said while talking to reporters in Alappuzha.

"Compared to any other party, the Congress has taken all possible action in this matter. All leaders have unitedly taken the decision earlier," he said.

Muraleedharan, who had been adopting a strong stand against Mamkootathil ever since the allegations surfaced, said the MLA had participated in some party programmes recently in his constituency on his own.

The party has now given instructions to him not to participate in any more programmes, he said here.

When reporters pointed out that Mamkootathil had reportedly gone into hiding after the woman lodged a complaint, Muraleedharan said the party has nothing to say as he is under suspension.

Sharing similar views, Palakkad DCC president A Thankappan said the party leadership has not given any direction for Mamkootathil to take part in the poll campaign of any party candidate contesting in the upcoming civic body polls.

He might have attended a few campaign events, but that was not under the direction of the party, he said.

However, senior CPI(M) leader and General Education Minister V Sivankutty alleged that the Congress party is divided over the Mamkootathil issue and they cannot even convene local meetings ahead of the upcoming civic body polls due to these difference of opinion.

"Mamkootathil is not ousted from the Congress because of the political degradation of that party. The Congress leaders, who are voicing their opinion on every issue, are not ready to reveal their clear stand on this," he alleged.

When a section of Congress leaders demand action against the Pakakkad MLA, others are against it, he further alleged while talking to reporters.

Sivankutty sought to know why the Congress leadership is not showing courage to oust Mamkootathil from the party in view of the serious charges.

The minister also strongly condemned the intense cyber attack being faced by the woman who lodged a sexual assault complaint against the Congress legislator.

Terming it a grave injustice to the survivor, he accused the Congress workers of unleashing cyber attack against her.

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

Mamkootathil 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 Wednesday.

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

As per the FIR, Mamkootathil 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.

Mamkootathil 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. Mamkootathil was elected as an 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.