Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leader Brinda Karat has accused Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan of defending “disgraced” Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, who was suspended from the Congress party following allegations of sexual misconduct.
She told the media here on Thursday (August 28, 2025) that “a serious sexual harasser and offender” was being “defended and supported” by the Leader of the Opposition from the Congress. “You suspended an MLA obviously because you found that he had indeed done something wrong. Otherwise, why did you suspend him? Because you accept that what he has done is totally condemnable and unacceptable. But simultaneously you defend him… Certainly, action must be taken against him,” Ms. Karat said.
On the Congress party’s claim that it had taken action against Mr. Mamkootathil despite receiving a written complaint, she said the party suspended him because it knew there was prima facie evidence of the sexual misconduct he had committed. “So, on the one hand, you want to say we have taken action against him, and on the other, you stand up and defend him. This is utter hypocrisy. Not only that, it is an insult to the women of Kerala. When you are defending a serious sexual offender, the six-month suspension is meaningless. The United Democratic Front and the Leader of the Opposition are singularly responsible for insulting the women of Kerala,” Ms. Karat said.
Published – August 28, 2025 11:49 pm IST
