Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan connected Wednesday (September 3, 2025) declined to reply whether Congress person Rahul Mamkootathil, MLA, who faces allegations of intersexual misconduct, would be the Assembly league commencing connected September 15.
Mr. Satheesan told a property league that the United Democratic Front (UDF) would instrumentality the “appropriate determination astatine the due time”. He said helium would not instrumentality questions astir a “closed chapter”.
His remarks travel amid threats by the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to deter Mr. Mamkootathil from attending the Assembly oregon mounting ft successful his Palakkad constituency.
Mr. Mamkootathil appeared to gully immoderate enactment wrong the Congress a fortnight aft his suspension from the party’s superior rank and resignation arsenic State Youth Congress president.
Congress Working Committee subordinate Kodikunnil Suresh, UDF convenor Adoor Prakash, and erstwhile UDF convenor M.M. Hassan said Mr. Mamkootathil was the unfortunate of a Communist Party of India (Marxist)-sponsored “political witch-hunt”.
However, elder Congress leaders, including Ramesh Chennithala and K.C. Joseph, person refrained from publically commenting connected the issue.
The party’s latest stance besides appears astatine likelihood with increasing demands from Congress women leaders, notably Uma Thomas, MLA, who has called for Mr. Mamkootathil’s resignation arsenic Palakkad legislator.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) State caput M.V. Govindan endorsed Ms. Thomas’s presumption and decried attempts to defame her and different Congress leaders who sought Mr. Mamkootathil’s resignation. He besides cautioned against efforts to manipulate nationalist sentiment connected the issue.
Former KPCC president K. Muraleedharan indicated that Mr. Mamkootathil mightiness be the Assembly league arsenic an “unattached” member. His name, helium said, would not look connected the Congress Legislature Party’s muster rolls nor find a spot successful the Opposition benches. He added that Mr. Mamkootathil could array submissions oregon enactment successful the Question Hour with the Chair’s permission, portion the Speaker would determine his seating arrangement.
Meanwhile, the Kerala Police Crime Branch has recorded the statements of astatine slightest 3 third-party complainants pursuing the registration of a Zero First Information Report successful the lack of a nonstop ailment from injured persons, if any. The allegations see claims of intersexual misconduct and anonymous dependable clips suggesting coercion to terminate a pregnancy.
The bureau is besides preparing to service notices to a fewer women journalists who claimed to person met astatine slightest 1 unfortunate and aboriginal highlighted her “physical and intelligence trauma and societal stigmatisation” connected societal and accepted media.
