Congress treading cautiously on sexual assault case against MLA Mamkootathil

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 28 The Congress leadership in Kerala has ruled out immediate expulsion of the suspended Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, facing sexual assault charges, opting instead for a cautious and calibrated approach by closely monitoring the legal proceedings.

Senior leaders have conveyed that the party has no direct liability in the matter and that it is for the MLA alone to defend himself before the law.

While a section within the party is pressing for stronger punishment, including expulsion, the collective assessment at a high-level consultation was that further disciplinary action should wait until the investigation and trial gain clarity.

Leaders maintain that suspension was executed in August itself without delay when allegations surfaced, and that premature expulsion could carry political risks, especially when the case has legal and electoral ramifications.

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has been briefed on the mode and timing of the complaint submission and has left the discretion of further action to the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).

Kerala in-charge Deepa Das Munshi has reportedly updated the high command, which is monitoring both the legal trajectory and political fallout.

Within the Kerala leadership, there is a growing belief that the timing of the complaint, surfacing during the local body election campaign, could be politically choreographed.

According to Congress leaders, this may have been an attempt by the ruling CPI(M) to deflect public attention from the escalating gold heist case involving its own leaders.

They allege that the manner in which the complaint was taken directly to the Chief Minister's Office reinforces suspicion of political scripting.

Even as the party distances itself from the allegations, it acknowledges the potential impact of having a sitting MLA facing grave charges, especially with critical election cycles ahead.

The party is expected to maintain vigilance over the police investigation, court proceedings, and public perception before deciding on further action.

Meanwhile, calls for his resignation have come from the CPI(M), including its feeder organisations.

State General Education Minister V. Sivankutty on Friday said all along, the Congress party leaders were asking where the complainant was, and now that she has appeared, Mamkootathil should resign, if the Congress leadership doesn't see that he should resign.

The probe team took the victim to testify before a magistrate, while the counsel for Mamkootathil said that till now, nothing has come up, and the ball is in the court of the Police, so let them take action

The youth wing of the CPI(M) has been holding protests across the state, and the police have barricaded the home of Mamkootathil in Adoor, where his mother and sister live, after reports surfaced that there would be a protest march to his home.

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