THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkootathil has been severely criticized for making bad remarks against Padmaja Venugopal, who left the Congress and joined the BJP. The criticism came in the KPCC political affairs committee meeting. Sooranad Rajasekaran's criticism was that Rahul's remark was bad. Rahul insulted the respected Leader himself. In the meeting, Sooranad said that Rahul's language had a tone of arrogance and that it was not right to abuse a woman with bad words. However, opposition leader VD Satheesan intervened to stop the criticism of Sooranad. Satheesan said that the party's stand on the issue has been clarified. He said that there should be no more controversies at the election stage. MM Hassan, who is in charge of the KPCC chairman, said that the matter was already settled.

Rahul Mamkootathil asked if Padmaja was 'a daughter born to a father or a child who killed the father'. Rahul said that Padmaja lost in the constituencies that the party would have won even if a broom was made the candidate and that if Padmaja mentioned Karunakaran's legacy anywhere, the Youth Congress would face it on the streets. The response was through his Facebook page.

Only former opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala came out publicly against the remark. Chennithala said that he did not agree with the statement made by Mamkootathil and that Congress has no tradition of insulting women. Padmaja Venugopal also responded that she will file a case against Rahul for the remarks made against her.