Satheesan non-committal on Mamkootathil’s Assembly attendance

Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan on Wednesday (Sep 3) declined to say whether Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, facing sexual misconduct allegations, will attend the Kerala Assembly session starting Sep 15. Satheesan told a press conference the United Democratic Front (UDF) would take the 'appropriate decision at the appropriate time', calling it a 'closed chapter'.

His remarks come as the DYFI and BJP have threatened to prevent Mamkootathil from entering the Assembly or his Palakkad constituency. Within the Congress, some leaders like Kodikunnil Suresh and Adoor Prakash called the allegations a Communist Party of India (Marxist)-sponsored 'political witch-hunt', while others including Uma Thomas have demanded his resignation.

Former KPCC president K. Muraleedharan indicated Mamkootathil might attend as an 'unattached' member, with his name off the Congress Legislature Party rolls. The Kerala Police Crime Branch has recorded statements from third-party complainants and is preparing to question women journalists who highlighted the case on social media.