Shafi Parambil parries queries on allegations against Rahul Mamkoottathil

Vadakara MP and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president Shafi Parambil has chosen to evade direct questions from the media related to the allegations of sexual abuse levelled against his close confidante and Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, which led to his recent resignation from the post of Youth Congress State president.

Mr. Parambil was at Vadakara town on Saturday to open a day-long protest organised on the private bus stand premises against the delay in completion of the Vengalam-Azhiyoor stretch of the NH-66 that passes through his constituency.

Asked if he had received any complaints against Mr. Mamkootathil, Mr. Parambil replied in the negative. The Congress leader claimed that Mr. Mamkootathil quit his post sticking to a high moral ground when allegations were raised against him. “There was no court judgment, no First Information Report was filed against him, not even an official complaint was there. Even then, he decided to resign from the post and the KPCC approved his decision. If a Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] activist had quit in similar circumstances, you [the media] would have extolled that action,” Mr. Parambil said.

The Congress MP also dismissed media reports and social media campaigns accusing him of keeping a silence over the issue. “Some media reports suggested that I had absconded to Bihar. All of you are aware of the protests against the Special Intensive Revision of the voters’ list there. I went there to be part of it,” Mr. Parambil said.

Asked about his take on the allegations against Mr. Mamkootathil, the Congress leader said, “The KPCC president has responded, the Opposition leader has spoken on the issue and Mr. Mamkootathil himself has addressed a press meet. It is not necessary that all the leaders should speak to the media. You people [the media] should introspect if this attitude is right,” he said. Mr. Parambil also wondered what moral right the CPI(M), the Left Democratic Front, and the BJP had to point fingers at the Congress as their own leaders and people’s representatives had not quit their posts when grave allegations were levelled against them.

Meanwhile, a group of activists of the Democratic Youth Federation of India and the CPI(M) staged a demonstration against the MP when he was addressing the protest event. They raised slogans against Mr. Parambil for protecting Mr. Mamkootathil. Some of the activists also levelled allegations against K.K. Rema, Vadakara MLA and Revolutionary Marxist Party of India leader, who won the seat with the support of the Congress-led United Democratic Front.