Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 23 (IANS) The Congress party on Saturday strongly backed first-time MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, rejecting demands from the CPI(M) and BJP for his resignation from the Assembly following allegations of misbehavior.

Protests were held by workers of both the CPI(M) and BJP in different parts of Kerala, calling for Mamkootathil to step down.

The young lawmaker had earlier resigned as president of the Youth Congress, citing “moral grounds,” but has ruled out stepping down as a legislator.

He had won the Palakkad Assembly by-election in November last year and quickly rose to prominence as a plain-speaking leader, drawing sharp attention from both the CPI(M) and the BJP.

With the allegations against him triggering a political storm, opposition parties have been pressing for his resignation.

However, senior Congress leaders insisted the matter had been settled with his resignation from the Youth Congress post.

AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala, Deepadas Munshi, said, “There has been no complaint received by the party or anywhere else. Rahul Mamkootathil resigned on moral grounds even when there was not a single complaint against him. For the Congress, morality comes first. I urge other parties to adopt the same standard.”

Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan also hit back at the CPI(M), stating that the Left should introspect on its own record. “Complaints have surfaced against CPI(M) and BJP leaders in the past. Did they ever take the kind of action that the Congress has taken? The Congress is different. We lead by example,”.

Vadakara MP Shafi Parambil, a close aide of Mamkootathil, criticized sections of the media for “spreading baseless news” that he had gone into hiding. “I was in Bihar attending a yatra. Everyone knew it. Why should I run away?” he asked.

He further alleged that the CPI(M) was attempting to divert attention from the state government’s lapses by targeting Mamkootathil.

“One CPI(M) MLA continues despite facing a rape charge sheet. Cases have also been raised against individuals close to the Chief Minister’s Office. Did the CPI(M) ask them to resign? The Congress has always taken the right step,” Parambil asserted.

While Mamkootathil remains firm on not giving up his Assembly seat, the controversy shows no signs of abating, with both the CPI(M) and BJP set to keep the issue alive in the coming days.

–IANS

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