A day after Youth Congress leader M. A. Shahanas alleged that she had warned then Youth Congress president Shafi Parambil, who is an MP from the Vadakara constituency now, about the “predatory conduct” of Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, who is facing two rape cases, she was expelled from the official WhatsApp group of KPCC Samskara Sahithi, Kozhikode, the cultural and literary outfit of Congress, on Thursday (December 4, 2025).
She also alleged that she had received inappropriate messages from Mr. Mamkootathil when she returned from Delhi after taking part in the farmers’ agitation.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday (December 3, 2025), Ms. Shahanas harshly criticised Mr. Mamkootathil and Mr. Parambil, while revealing that she had informed Mr. Parambil about the “embarrassing situation” she had to face from Mr. Mamkootathil when the current Vadakara MP was the Youth Congress president.
She also told the media that Mr. Mamkootathil had messaged her, saying that “they could have travelled together” when he came to know about her trip to Delhi. “When I replied to him that we could travel to Delhi with the Youth Congress office-bearers next time, he specifically said he was referring to a trip with ‘him’,” she said.
However, when she brought the issue to the attention of Mr. Parambil and raised her apprehensions about elevating Mr. Mamkootathil as the president of the Youth Congress against the backdrop of his “predatory misconduct”, she was allegedly mocked, and her warning was rejected with contempt, she said.
“Women would not feel safe if he was made the Youth Congress president, and a good number of women were against making Mr. Mamkootathil president of the outfit,” she said.
“However, the pleas of women went unheard. Once again, when the issue was brought to the attention of Mr. Parambil, including her message to him warning of the misconduct of Mr. Mamkootathil in the wake of the latest two rape cases, the reply was a sad smiley,” she said.
Ms. Shahanas also said “she was not the only woman who had to face embarrassment” within the party. “There were many women workers in the Congress who faced similar experiences,” she said.
Published – December 04, 2025 12:07 pm IST
