Rahul Mamkootathil visits constituency weeks after sexual misconduct allegations

Palakkad, Sep 24 (PTI) Suspended Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil on Wednesday arrived at the Palakkad constituency for the first time after the sexual misconduct allegations against him and the subsequent party action.

He last arrived at the constituency, which he represents in the Assembly, on August 17.

The MLA, who reportedly started from his house in Adoor in the morning, reached here in the accompaniment of local party leaders, sources said.

Mamkootathil arrived here to visit the house of a close relative of a local Congress leader here.

There is no confirmation of whether he would attend any party-related or other programmes in the segment later in the day.

After shutting himself in at his house for several days in view of allegations, Mamkootathil had walked into the Kerala Assembly last week, which was his first public appearance since being suspended from the party.

The SFI activists had blocked his vehicle near the MLA Hostel and staged a protest.

The MLA had later met the reporters in front of the Legislative Assembly complex here and clarified that his arrival in the House was not in defiance of the Congress leadership.

The legislator, however, was not ready to say anything regarding the allegations against him or about the purported audio clips regarding that, despite repeated questions by the media.

Mamkootathil recently 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 the BJP and DYFI, the youth wing of the CPI(M).

Subsequently, some women and a transgender person accused him of similar charges. He was also suspended from the Congress party over the allegations. PTI LGK KH