Rahul Mamkootathil makes first public appearance after suspension

Rahul Mamkootathil, the suspended Congress MLA from Palakkad, walked into the Kerala Assembly on Monday, his first public appearance since being suspended from the party following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.

Accompanied by Youth Congress district president Nemom Shajeer and a few friends, the legislator reached the House a few minutes after the session began.

Though Leader of Opposition in the assembly, V D Satheesan had reportedly objected to his presence in the House, Mamkootathil enjoys support from a significant section of the Congress party.

There was little visible reaction from other members when he entered, even as the House was paying tribute to former chief minister V S Achuthanandan and two others.

With the obituary reference progressing, he was seen writing something on a paper, reportedly a reply to a note received from the opposition side, and left the House later.

Though he was circled by the media outside, he refused to say anything.

SFI activists blocked his vehicle near the MLA Hostel and staged a protest for a short time. They were later removed by the police.

Neither the Palakkad legislator nor the party leadership gave any clarification on whether he would continue to attend the session in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Congress leaders seemed to be distancing themselves from the matter and took a stand that there is no need for the party to respond to Mamkootathil's arrival in the Assembly, as he is no longer a member of the parliamentary party.

''He is not a member of the Congress Parliamentary party now. So we are not responsible to reply to any questions in connection with him. What does the party have to say on his arrival in Assembly?'' Lok Sabha MP Kodukkunnil Suresh said.

Such questions are relevant only if he is a member of the Congress party, he said.

Vadakara MP Shafi Parambil, who is close to Mamkootathil, said in Thrissur that he has nothing more to say on the matter other than what the KPCC chief said on it.

''I am not going to make any statement on the matter. The KPCC Chief already said something about it. The party has taken action also against him,'' he said.

However, senior CPI (M) leader E P Jayarajan strongly criticised Mamkootathil's arrival in the House.

Alleging that his arrival was a deliberate attempt to create issues in the House, he said his action was an ''insult'' to the people and the Assembly.

He also said people of the state would realise such wrong practices.

Mamkootathil had been staying away from public life at his home in Adoor after the allegations and the subsequent party action.

The Congress suspended him in August, but he retained his Assembly seat.

The Palakkad legislator's appearance followed days of speculation over whether he would attend the session, as LoP Satheesan had reportedly objected to his presence. 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 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.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)