Kerala MP Rahul Mamkootathil resigns as Youth Congress president amid harassment allegations.

Congress MP Rahul Mamkootathil on Thursday resigned as state president of the party’s youth wing. His resignation comes after allegations of harassment by Malayalam actor Rini Ann George and writer Honey Bhaskaran.

Mamkootathil denied any wrongdoing and said his resignation was to protect the Congress party. “I strongly believe that defending myself against these allegations should not be a burden on any Congressman at a time when the fight against the anti-people policies of the LDF government has reached its peak. This is why I am resigning from my post as Youth Congress president and am ready to face any complaint against me in court,” he was quoted as saying by The Hindu.

Responding to the allegations, Kerala LoP and Congress chief VD Satheesan assured a thorough investigation by the party. He stressed that no leniency would be offered if the allegations turned out to be serious.

“The Party will look into the allegations. We will check the seriousness of the allegations. If they are very serious, we will take necessary action. There is a procedure; he will have an opportunity to present his point of view. Only then will we take a decision. We will take a decision immediately; there will be no delay. There are no complaints before the party. If anyone makes allegations, we will look into them. We will take them very seriously, we will take action appropriate, there will be no mercy.” he added.

Meanwhile, Mahila Congress leader Bindu Krishna said the Mahila Congress has conveyed its stand to the party regarding the allegations and now it is up to the party to respond and take an appropriate decision. “I have not received any complaint against Rahul Mamkootathil before. No girl should ever face such an experience. Nor should any girl have to endure unpleasant experiences in cyberspace,” she said.

Youth Congress general secretary RV Sneha has expressed concerns over the allegations against the Youth Congress president. In an alleged audio message from Sneha, she further said that if the allegations are false, Rahul should file a complaint against those who made them.

“The Youth Congress is a movement with many young women. Whether it is to sideline it or promote it, such allegations cannot be brushed aside. The state president is facing charges and this needs to be discussed. If he has done no wrong, the organization must protect him. If any wrong has been done, he and the party have a duty to step aside for investigation. The stories continue to come out like a mega soap opera,” a said Sneha as quoted by Mathrubhumi.

Palakkad District Congress Committee (DCC) president A. Thankappan said if the charges were established, action would be taken against Rahul.

“The party will not protect anyone. Allegations have been raised without naming anyone. This should be clarified. The party president and the opposition leader will take necessary action. Further clarification is needed on the allegations,” he added.

Earlier on Wednesday, Rini said a young leader of a major political party had regularly sent her offensive messages and even invited her to a hotel. “I decided to speak out because I saw recently on social media that many women have faced similar issues. None of these women are talking about it. So I thought of speaking on behalf of everyone,” she said.

Even though she did not disclose the leader’s name, the BJP took out a protest march to Mamkootathil’s office, demanding his resignation. DYFI, the youth wing of the CPI(M), also marched to its office in Palakkad.

Soon after, Honey Bhaskaran, a writer, made similar allegations against Mamkootathil. In a Facebook post, she alleged that he constantly sent her messages and then misrepresented their discussions with others.

George also claimed that she informed the party leadership about the incident, saying that the wives and daughters of many politicians had similar experiences with the leader.