Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State secretary M.V. Govindan has accused the Congress of hiding Rahul Mamkootathil, Palakkad MLA, who is facing charges including rape and coerced termination of pregnancy.
Addressing a ‘Meet-the-leader’ event organised by the Calicut Press Club here on Sunday (November 30, 2025), he said that without the support of the Congress, Mr. Mamkootathil would not be able to evade arrest. Mr. Govindan said that an affidavit submitted by the MLA in the court as part of his anticipatory bail plea was an admission of his guilt. Mr. Mamkootathil reportedly asked what was wrong in having a sexual relationship with the complainant woman if there was mutual consent.
Mr. Govindan also alleged that the Congress was divided over the charges against Mr. Mamkootathil. It was evident from the support given to him by the party mouthpiece Veekshanam at a time when some other senior leaders have spoken against him in strong words, the CPI(M) leader said.
Mr. Govindan alleged that the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) were promoting minority communalism by joining hands with the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JeH)-backed Welfare Party of India and the Social Democratic Party of India for the local body polls. He claimed that both the Congress and the IUML were at present guided by the ideology of the JeH. He also said that the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) was fighting the minority communalism and the majoritarian communalism propagated by the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party. However, when asked about the CPI(M)’s alleged tie-up with the JeH in the past, he claimed that it had never had any electoral understanding with that organisation. “In the past, the JeH used to support individual candidates representing various fronts during the elections. LDF candidates also may have got their support. Other than that, we have had no tie-up or understanding with them,” he said.
Asked if the party would take disciplinary action against its former MLA A. Padmakumar, who is in jail in connection with the Sabarimala gold theft case, Mr. Govindan said appropriate steps would be taken after the completion of the investigation by the Special Investigation Team. Mr. Govindan claimed that the LDF would register an impressive win after the local body polls and make inroads into places where the Left had been weak in the past.
Published – November 30, 2025 05:05 pm IST
