Cong acted against Mamkootathil, CPI(M) shielding Sabarimala gold case accused: Satheesan

Palakkad(Kerala), Nov 25 (PTI) Leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly V D Satheesan on Tuesday said the Congress has already taken action against its MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, facing sexual misconduct allegations, but CPI(M) did nothing to its two leaders arrested in connection with loss of gold from Sabarimala.

Satheesan said that the party already took action against Mamkootathil by suspending him from the Congress.

"So, how can we take action twice against an individual for the same issue?" he asked while speaking to reporters here.

He said that reporters should ask Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan why no action was taken against former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) presidents N Vasu and A Padmakumar who have been arrested in connection with the loss of gold from the Lord Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala.

"Why no action against them? It shows the party is protecting them? Does the party have a role in the matter?" Satheesan asked.

On being asked why Mamkootathil, who has been suspended from the party, was taking part in the local body poll campaign, the opposition leader said that Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief Sunny Joseph was the one authorised to answer that.

"Anything related to the party functioning has to be answered by the KPCC chief and not me," he said.

Mamkootathil, facing multiple sexual misconduct allegations, was suspended from the primary membership of the Congress on August 25.

The Palakkad MLA had quit as Youth Congress state president after Malayalam actress Rini Ann George accused "a young leader" of a well-known political party of misbehaviour and subsequent protests by BJP and DYFI, the youth wing of the CPI(M).

Subsequently, several women and a transgender person accused him of similar charges.

Mamkootathil was elected as MLA in November last year in a by-election held for the Palakkad seat, following the election of party leader and then sitting MLA Shafi Parambil as Lok Sabha MP from Vatakara in the general election. PTI HMP ROH