Congress suspends Kerala MLA Rahul Mamkootathil after sexual harassment allegations
What's the story
The Indian National Congress (INC) has suspended Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil after sexual harassment allegations were leveled against him by multiple women. The decision comes days after Mamkootathil resigned as the president of the Kerala Youth Congress amid mounting pressure from within and outside the party. The controversy first erupted when Malayalam actor Rini Ann George accused an unnamed "youth leader" of sending her lewd messages and inviting her to a hotel.
Rising accusations
BJP, CPI(M)'s youth wing demand Mamkootathil's resignation
Although George didn't name anyone, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged a protest outside Mamkootathil's office in Palakkad, accusing him of being the leader. The Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s youth wing, the Democratic Youth Federation of India, also demanded his resignation. After George, writer Honey Bhaskaran came forward with allegations against Mamkootathil, claiming he misrepresented their conversations and persistently messaged her. Despite complaints within the Youth Congress itself, no action was taken against him.
Additional allegations
Trans woman also accused him of sending lewd messages
A trans woman named Avanthika also accused Mamkootathil of sending her messages expressing a desire to rape her. She said their friendship turned into a "disgusting experience" through his social media messages. After these allegations surfaced, Mamkootathil resigned as Youth Congress president, claiming it was a personal decision and not due to any wrongdoing.
Internal inquiry
More on the matter
"More shocking events are coming when that list includes transgender individuals as well. So, these are not baseless allegations against Rahul, all these allegations are coming with proof, with a chat history, with voice messages and everything," BJP Council Party leader from Kozhikode Corporation, Navya Haridas, told ANI. Recently, screenshots of WhatsApp chats allegedly sent by Mamkootathil to another woman, asking if he could visit her when she was alone at home, have also surfaced on social media.