Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MLA from Palakkad and former Kerala Youth Congress president Rahul Mamkootathil has been hit by a storm of sexual misconduct allegations, forcing him to step down from his party post and triggering demands for stronger disciplinary action.
The controversy broke out last week when several women, including an actress, a writer, and a trans activist, accused Mamkootathil of harassment and abusive behaviour.
The actress alleged that the MLA repeatedly sent her sexually explicit and harassing messages and invited her to hotels under false pretexts.
The trans activist claimed that Mamkootathil confided a disturbing “rape fantasy” during conversations and suggested meeting her in Bengaluru or Hyderabad.
Another woman, whose identity has been withheld, accused him of luring her with promises of marriage, sexually assaulting her, and later pressuring her to undergo an unsafe abortion.
A purported audio clip that surfaced on social media allegedly features Mamkootathil threatening a woman and her unborn child after she refused to terminate her pregnancy. These accounts, coming from different individuals, have shaken Kerala’s political landscape and raised serious questions about accountability within the Congress party.
On August 21, Mamkootathil resigned as Kerala Youth Congress president, saying his decision was meant to avoid distracting the party during a crucial political period.
He insisted that his resignation did not amount to an admission of guilt and maintained his innocence. The allegations have put the Congress in a tight spot. Opposition CPI(M) leader M. V. Govindan said the charges appeared grave, but it was up to Congress to decide whether Mamkootathil should continue as MLA.
Opposition leader in Kerala Assembly V. D. Satheesan confirmed that the party had launched an internal inquiry, while warning against online smear campaigns targeting the complainants.
Kerala Higher Education Minister and CP(I)M leader V. Sivankutty wrote to the Palakkad District Collector asking that Mamkootathil stay away from the organising committee of the state school science festival, citing fears that his presence could disrupt the event.
Congress MP Shafi Parambil, however, maintained that the party had already taken a “moral stand” by securing his resignation, pointing out that no formal police complaint or FIR had been filed so far.
The scandal has left Congress facing both political embarrassment and moral questions. While the party has avoided immediate expulsion, pressure is mounting from opposition leaders, civil society, and women’s groups to take stronger action.
With multiple women now stepping forward with serious allegations, the focus is expected to shift to whether formal complaints are registered and how Congress chooses to deal with Mamkootathil’s position as MLA.
