V.D. Satheesan dares Kerala CM to act against ‘sex offenders’ in government, CPI(M)

Kerala’s Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan has dared Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to “follow Congress’ example” and act punitively against those facing accusations of sexual misconduct in the government and the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)].

Speaking to reporters at Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district on Monday, Mr. Satheesan said the Congress had set a “shining example” in Kerala’s political history by suspending Rahul Mamkootathil, MLA, despite the lack of a complaint to the party or the police. 

Mr. Satheesan dodged questions about whether a person from his constituency in Paravoor had drawn his attention to Mr. Mamkootathil’s “predatory sexual advances” in 2021. (She had stirred a political storm last week by obliquely suggesting that Mr. Mamkootathil was the alleged offender.)

Mr. Satheesan reiterated the Congress’ stance that the party was not in receipt of an official complaint against Mr. Mamkootathil from any quarter.

Terming Mr. Mamkootathil as a promising young Congress leader “close to all of us,” Mr. Satheesan said Mr. Mamkootathil was at the forefront of Congress and United Democratic Front (UDF) Opposition politics in Kerala and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government’s bugbear. Nevertheless, the Congress temporarily removed Mr. Mamkootathil from the party’s muster rolls at the first whiff of a complaint, he said.

“The Congress has underscored its commitment to women. It will not tolerate any injury, if at all, to their self-respect and gender rights. By suspending Mr. Mamkootathil from the party’s primary membership and instituting a panel to probe the accusations against him, the Congress has set an example which neither the CPI(M) nor the BJP can hope to follow”, he said. 

Mr. Satheesan stated that no woman CPI(M) leader had come out in support of the women alleged to be victims of the sexual predation of their powerful party colleagues. “In contrast, Congresswomen leaders demanded Mr. Mamkootathil’s resignation”, he said. 

Mr. Satheesan dared mediapersons to ask Mr. Vijayan about “sex offenders in the Chief Minister’s Office”.

He stated that several CPI(M) leaders remained in the saddle despite the party being deluged by complaints about their misbehaviour.