A day after Malayalam actor Rini Ann George raised allegations of misconduct against a young politician in Kerala, Congress legislator Rahul Mamkootathil resigned as the state president of the Youth Congress.
Rini Ann George had alleged that she was sent obscene messages and invited to a hotel room by a politician she had met through social media. She claimed that several other women, including those in Congress, had similar experiences. While she did not name the politician, speculation pointed to Rahul Mamkootathil, MLA from the Palakkad assembly seat.
Senior Congress leader and Opposition leader V D Satheesan stated that the party would examine the allegations seriously and take stern action if any leader was found involved, regardless of their stature. He emphasized that the complaint was new and required immediate attention.
Rahul Mamkootathil addressed the media in Pathanamthitta, saying, “I respect the legal system in the country. She is my close friend, and she has not named me in the allegation. I believe the allegation was not against me.” He also suggested that some media coverage was politically motivated.
The resignation comes at a sensitive time for Congress, as the party had previously criticized the CPI(M) for allegedly protecting leaders accused of misconduct. The move underlines the Congress’s effort to act decisively against allegations of sexual misconduct within the party.
Rahul will continue to serve as MLA for Palakkad, but he has stepped down from his leadership role in the Youth Congress to allow the party to investigate the matter without bias.
