THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major embarrassment for the Congress ahead of crucial elections to local bodies and the state assembly, its self-styled flamboyant young face MLA Rahul Mamkootathil stepped down from the office of the Youth Congress state president on Thursday following allegations of misconduct. This seemed to have opened the sluice gates as fresh allegations of even graver nature poured in against him, even after the announcement.
Rahul announced his resignation a day after a female actor raised harassment allegations, albeit without naming the Palakkad MLA but dropping enough hints as to his identity. Reluctant initially, Rahul announced his resignation after the Congress national leadership served an ultimatum: quit or face action.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, widely seen as Rahul’s mentor, state Congress chief Sunny Joseph, AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala Deepa Dasmunsi and organisational general secretary K C Venugopal held hectic parleys before Rahul announced his resignation. Senior leader Ramesh Chennithala conveyed to the AICC that considering the grave nature of the allegation, it would be better for the party if Rahul stepped down. Ramesh told leaders that any laxity on their part would damage the party’s prospects in the upcoming polls.
Signalling confusion within the party, Satheesan cancelled a scheduled press conference at 10am, but met mediapersons two hours later. He said Congress would look into the allegations and take a decision after hearing Rahul out. As it transpired, Rahul did not submit his resignation. “This prompted
the AICC to ask the state leadership to convey an ultimatum to Rahul to either announce his resignation in front of the media or face action,” a senior Congress leader told TNIE.
At 1.30pm Rahul announced his resignation. Putting up a brave face, he pleaded innocence, and rejected media reports about a forced resignation. No one had asked him to resign, he claimed.
“My conscience is clear as I’m innocent. I am resigning so that the Congress workers can concentrate on their work,” he said
‘State Congress has received 14 harassment complaints against Rahul’
Though Congress did avert a political crisis by persuading Rahul to resign, the repercussions are not over as multiple allegations of sexually suggestive behaviour of Rahul is pouring in. An audio clip of a conversation allegedly between Rahul and a woman, broadcast by news channels, revealed a talk of forced abortion. A transgender woman came out openly in a news channel and accused Rahul of telling her his intension of “raping her”.
After the Wednesday’s allegation by the actor, the KPCC has received 14 complaints against Rahul, mostly from young women leaders of the Youth Congress, party sources said, adding the AICC has received nine complaints, even from some senior leaders.
“The most chilling fact about the whole episode is that leaders, especially Satheesan and Shafi Parambil, were aware of this predator’s criminal act. Yet all of them protected him,” a woman Congress leader alleged. The incident has become a shot in the arm for those within the Congress who are baying for Satheesan’s blood.
“It was Satheesan and Shafi who had handpicked Rahul, a native of Pathanamthitta, as the candidate for Palakkad by-election. It was the outcome of the benami deal. This had cost the Congress dearly as several leaders in Palakkad had quit the party then. Now how can we defend the allegation that he was pressurising a woman for abortion,” a political affairs committee member asked.