Rahul Mamkootathil suspended from Congress over sexual misconduct allegations; will continue as MLA

Congress leader and Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, facing multiple sexual misconduct allegations, was suspended from the primary membership of the party on Monday, KPCC President Sunny Joseph said.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief, however, rejected the political opponents' demand for Mamkootathil's resignation as MLA.

Joseph also said the legislator has set a "model" by stepping down as youth congress state president without waiting for a formal complaint or a case being lodged.


During the brief press conference convened at his house in Iritty here, the veteran leader didn't specify the duration of the suspension period.

Joseph said the Congress viewed the allegations against Rahul Mamkootathil as serious.

The Congress leadership in Kerala made a series of consultations with various leaders, including Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, former KPCC chiefs and AICC working committee members from the state in this regard, and took an "unanimous" decision in the matter, he said.

"The party has not received any complaint in this regard so far. There has also been no legal complaint. No case has been registered anywhere," Joseph added.

So, there is no justification or logic in the demand raised by political opponents for the resignation of Mamkootathil as MLA, he said.

"They have no moral right to raise such a demand. There is no such precedence in Kerala politics," the KPCC chief further said and maintained that the Congress values the dignity and safety of women to the core.

After announcing the decision, Sunny Joseph hurriedly concluded the press conference.

He refused to answer any questions raised by the reporters, including whether there is any party probe against the allegations, cyberbullying against party MLA Uma Thomas, allegedly carried out by Congress activists supporting Mamkootathil.

Rahul Mamkootathil recently quit as Youth Congress state president after Malayalam actress Rini Ann George accused "a young leader" of a well-known political party of misbehaviour and subsequent protests by BJP and DYFI, the youth wing of the CPI(M). Subsequently, several women and a transgender person accused him of similar charges.

He was elected as MLA in November last year in a by-election held for the Palakkad seat, following the election of party leader and then sitting MLA Shafi Parambil as Lok Sabha MP from Vatakara in the general election.

Senior Congress leaders including Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and former KPCC Chief K Sudhakaran welcomed the leadership's decision.

However, ruling CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan, ministers like V Sivankutty, P Rajeev, M B Rajesh, LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan and so on continued to criticise the Congress over the issue.

While talking to reporters in Thiruvalla, Satheesan said it is for the first time that any political party is taking a strong action on such an issue with strong determination.

"Congress has taken the biggest decision any political movement can take after examining such an issue. The party has courageously taken a decision that no other political party in Kerala politics has ever taken," he said.

Even though the party is yet to receive a formal complaint, he resigned as the youth congress president within 24 hours and has been suspended now from the party membership after consulting with senior leaders, the LoP added.

However, M V Govindan alleged that the Congress leadership is not firmly asking Mamkootathil to resign as MLA as it fears that the MLA may open up about the degraded practices within the party if they take any strong action against him.

"That's why they are trying to end the issue through the suspension," he said, adding that the allegations came out against Mamkootathil were something "very rare in the history of the world".

Cutting across party politics, people of the state strongly reacted to the sexual harassment complaints against the MLA, he added.

When T P Ramakrishnan urged the Congress MLA to resign on moral grounds, M B Rajesh suspected that his suspension was part of a compromise within the grand old party.

"The revelations coming out against the MLA now are just shocking. Whatever action has been taken, the Congress leadership is answerable to the people. Because they have protected him so far. It is the indication of the degradation within that party," Minister Rajeev said.

Sivankutty reiterated the demand for Mamkootathil's resignation as MLA and accused the "Congress cyber groups", which support him, of unleashing attacks on online platforms against those who criticise the leader.