Veekshanam editorial ‘defending’ Mamkootathil catches Congress unawares

Congress leadership in Kerala appeared blindsided on Saturday by its party mouthpiece Veekshanam.  In a contentious editorial, the newspaper sought to challenge the supposed hypocrisy of those seeking to condemn Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, who was suspended from the party in August following accusations of serial sexual misconduct and is currently facing charges of rape and coerced termination of pregnancy.

Notably, the editorial borrowed the biblical story of Jesus absolving the sins of a woman condemned to death by stoning for adultery, purportedly to provide a moral defence for Mr. Mamkootathil. The editorial quoted from the gospel, stating that “let those who have not sinned throw stones”. 

The newspaper also portrayed Mr. Mamkootathil as the latest victim of the CPI(M)’s “election agenda-setting muckraking” aimed at blighting a “burning sun” and a star campaigner of the Congress.

The Congress leadership appeared caught unawares. The party had been at pains recently to highlight that it had offered no political protection to Mr. Mamkootathil nor sought his services at the local body poll hustings.

CPI(M) reaction

CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan appeared to seize the initiative and termed the editorial a “brazen defence of sexual predators, which testified to the moral degeneracy afflicting the Congress”.

Mr. Govindan claimed that Mr. Mamkootathil’s peccadillos had further divided the Congress and rendered it rudderless. He said Congress’s social media handles loyal to Mr. Mamkootathil had viciously targeted Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan and senior leader Ramesh Chennithala for demanding exemplary action against the MLA. At the same time, other leaders, including former KPCC president K. Sudhakaran, defended Mr Mamkootathil. Mr. Sudhakaran has since denied the insinuation. 

The contentious editorial seemed to impel the Congress into firefighting mode. KPCC president Sunny Joseph, MLA, stated that the editorial contravened the party’s official line on the controversy. “The party leadership had unanimously suspended Mr. Mamkootathil from primary membership after the accusations emerged in the public domain. Veekshanam has no business justifying or defending a person outside the Congress’s organisational ambit,” he added. 

Veekshanam managing director Jaison Joseph said the “tactless editorial” was the result of a pronounced lack of journalistic caution.

A woman acquaintance of Mr. Mamkootathil had submitted a complaint to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday, jump-starting the serial sexual misconduct investigation against the MLA, which had lain dormant since August, arguably due to the lack of an identifiable”victim” with a recordable grievance.