Sexual Assault Case: Congress Protects Mamkoottathil While Survivor Faces Abuse

Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress leadership has been unwilling to pursue stronger action against MLA Rahul Mamkoottathil, who is facing a case based on a young woman’s complaint of sexual assault and forced abortion. The party’s decision at the top level is that no further disciplinary measures will be taken, and he will not be pressured to resign from his MLA position.

Leaders have defended their stance by arguing that Mamkoottathil was already suspended when the accusations emerged. However, despite the suspension, he remained under visible protection within leadership circles. In his home constituency of Palakkad, UDF leaders continued to invite him to public programs, and Mamkoottathil actively campaigned during the local body elections. He himself stated that no one in the party instructed him to abstain from campaigning.

UDF convenor Adoor Prakash publicly supported Mamkoottathil while demeaningly referring to the survivor. He claimed that the allegations were part of a political trap engineered by the CPI(M) and said that the survivor had been manipulated by the ruling party. M M Hassan asserted that the complaint was drafted at the Chief Minister’s office. Palakkad DCC president A Thankappan mocked the case by sarcastically asking whether the complainant had been “in hiding all this time.” Meanwhile, social media groups aligned with Mamkoottathil have been engaged in online attacks and smear campaigns against the survivor.

Senior leader Rajmohan Unnithan has stood as the only prominent voice in the party to firmly criticise Mamkoottathil. Unnithan said that Mamkoottathil attempted to manipulate public opinion through unethical PR tactics to create an image of having greater influence than other Congress leaders in Kerala. He said that those within the party who helped protect Mamkoottathil — both openly and discreetly — must now reconsider their position. “If you carry a rotten person, you will stink as well,” he said, adding that Mamkoottathil must repent and atone. Unnithan emphasised that no one with genuine moral values can defend such actions.

There have been suggestions that Mamkoottathil possesses sensitive internal information about senior party leaders. This, it is strongly suspected, is contributing to the leadership’s reluctance to take firm action against him. Women party members and others who initially spoke out against Mamkoottathil became targets of intense cyber harassment, underscoring the climate of intimidation surrounding the case.