BJP reiterates move to block Mamkootathil in Palakkad

The BJP reiterated here on Saturday that its workers would not permit the beleaguered MLA Rahul Mamkootathil to set his foot in Palakkad.

Mr. Mamkootathil has stayed away from Palakkad ever since allegations of sexual misconduct were raised against him and the Congress suspended him from party positions.

The police arrested and removed a group of BJP workers who attempted to lock down the MLA office here on Saturday. There were rumours that Mr. Mamkootathil would reach here on Saturday.

BJP workers reached the MLA office premises as early as 4 a.m. on Saturday, and they remained there asserting that they would not permit Mr. Mamkootathil to step into his office.

They protested by holding placards with slogans such as “we don’t need an MLA who is a sexual predator”. They demanded that Mr. Mamkootathil should resign.

The posters pasted on the wall in front of the MLA office had such sarcastic sentences as ‘don’t force me to marry; how many days have I been asking for your number; and let’s check into a five-star hotel’.

The police stopped the BJP workers from locking down the MLA office. The protesters were arrested after refused to disburse.

The BJP also accused the CPI(M) of backtracking from a proposed protest against Mr. Mamkootathil. BJP district president Prasanth Sivan said that the CPI(M) withdrew from the protest because it was part of the INDIA bloc.