I am victim of political witch-hunt by CPM, says Rahul Mamkoottathil after SFI blocks his car near MLA quarters
Mr. Mamkoottathil denied that he had dared the Congress' writ by attending the Assembly. "The KPCC has suspended me from the party's primary membership. The Congress Legislative Party (CLP) has debarred me temporarily from its rolls. It does not entail that I am no longer a Congress worker. I remain subservient to the party", he said.
Thiruvananthapuram: After Rahul Mamkoottathil made his presence in the Kerala assembly session, a group of SFI workers blocked Mr. Mamkootathil’s car as it proceeded from the MLA quarters to the Kerala Legislative Assembly complex. Tense scenes were witnessed as SFI activists blocked his car and sat in front of the vehicle. However police intervened and ensured that no untoward incidents happened.
Later, speaking to reporters inside the Assembly gates, Mr. Mamkoottathil pointedly refused to take questions regarding the veracity of the audio clips implicating him in a case concerning coercion and life threat to illegally terminate pregnancy.
He also declined to comment on the veracity of the allegations of inappropriate behaviour against him that had surfaced in the public domain, despite persistent questioning by journalists.
Rahul Mamkoottathil suggested that he was "a victim of a political witch-hunt” launched by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.
"Be sure that the Kerala Police Crime Branch, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s trusted agency, will leave no stone unturned and go to great lengths to implicate me. I have faced arrests and endured prison as a Congress worker since the age of 18 and remain unfazed”, he said.
Mr. Mamkoottathil denied that he had dared the Congress’ writ by attending the Assembly. "The KPCC has suspended me from the party’s primary membership. The Congress Legislative Party (CLP) has debarred me temporarily from its rolls. It does not entail that I am no longer a Congress worker. I remain subservient to the party”, he said.
The Palakkad legislator, however, dropped no hint whether he would continue to attend the Assembly or visit his constituency.
Rahul Mamkoottathil used the press conference to signal to Youth Congress workers, including those on social media, to keep up their "good fight against the Pinarayi government”. He also highlighted instances of police brutality that emerged in the public domain.