No bar to Rahul Mamkootathil campaigning for Congress candidates: Muraleedharan

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 26 (PTI) Senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan on Wednesday said there was no bar to Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil campaigning for party candidates contesting in the upcoming local body polls.

At the same time, Muraleedharan made it clear that Mamkootathil cannot share the stage with Congress leaders or take part in party procedures as he was on suspension.

The Congress leader was responding to reporters' queries here as to whether it was appropriate that the Palakkad MLA was campaigning for party candidates while on suspension over allegations of sexual misconduct against women. Muraleedharan said that anyone can seek votes for candidates.

He said that some people have close relations with the party workers and candidates and based on that they seek votes for them.

"Mamkootathil is only seeking votes for the candidates who campaigned for him when he contested for the Palakkad MLA seat. There is no objection to that," the Congress leader said.

He said that the party will now take further steps after the police completes its probe into the allegations against Mamkootathil and submits its report.

Muraleedharan also said that the Palakkad MLA can approach the court for expediting the investigation if it is delayed indefinitely.

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 ADB