Congress shows split stance on Rahul even after his expulsion

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress state leadership had managed to save face by expelling Rahul Mamkootathil, though the decision came very late. However, the party suffered embarrassment on the day of the local body elections as its leaders made contradictory statements about Rahul.

KPCC president Sunny Joseph and Opposition Leader VD Satheesan expressed two different opinions regarding the second sexual harassment complaint filed against Rahul. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan made use of this opportunity to criticise the Congress, saying that society will not accept any attempt to justify wrongdoing against women.

Earlier, on the first day of polling, UDF convenor Adoor Prakash had put the party in a difficult position by saying that actor Dileep had received justice in the actress assault case verdict. KPCC leadership later intervened and corrected the statement. If the local body election results do not meet expectations, these two days of conflicting remarks could lead to serious consequences for the party.

Sunny Joseph had claimed that the second complaint against Rahul was politically motivated and that the petition was well-drafted, suggesting the involvement of a “legal brain.” He repeated this statement even after casting his vote yesterday. Soon after, Opposition Leader Satheesan responded, dismissing Sunny Joseph’s view. Satheesan said he does not believe the complaint was politically motivated and that complaints should indeed be well-drafted.

Meanwhile, Ramesh Chennithala stated that Rahul has already been expelled and that there is no need to comment on someone who is no longer in the party.

After the first allegation surfaced, Satheesan had strongly demanded Rahul’s removal from the Youth Congress president post. But Sunny Joseph and some others supported Rahul. Due to mounting pressure, Rahul was eventually suspended, though some leaders continued to show leniency. With their backing, Rahul even participated in the Palakkad election campaign. It was during this period that the second complaint was filed, after which he was expelled from the party.