The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has firmly disowned an editorial published in ‘Veekshanam’ ,the congress mouthpiece in Kerala, defending Rahul Mamkootathil.
KPCC president Sunny Joseph on Saturday said here that the editorial in the party mouthpiece defending Rahul Mamkootathil was not the party’s stand and instructions have been issued to correct it.
“ The editorial contradicted the party’s official stand. It was against the party stand and ideology.Instructions have been issued to correct it,” Sunny Joseph said
He said that Rahul Mamkootathil was suspended from the party with the complete concurrence of all the Congress leaders in the state.
However, senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan contended that the editorial was the party stand. He said that the editorial was not justifying or protecting Mamkootathil, instead it was intending to point out that the CPM , which has not taken any action against Left MLA Mukesh who is accused of sexual assault, was demanding that Mamkootathil should resign on moral grounds.
The editorial,titled ‘Let those who have not committed any sin throw stones’, published on Saturday claimed that Palakkad MLA Mamkootathil was a victim of a CPM conspiracy to discredit the party in view of the upcoming local body polls.
“The CPM is watching with horror the rise of a number of young people of Rahul’s generation in the Congress. Efforts are being made to break them. His crime was that he defeated the LDF and BJP by a historic majority in the Palakkad by-election. They have realized that if young people with political creativity and intelligence grow up, it will push the CPM towards tribalism,” the editorial said
The aim of such politically motivated allegations and personal assassinations is to trample on the excellent seed quality that other parties do not have and kill them, the editorial further says. .The editorial also calls for moving forward cautiously without being swayed by slander or being crushed by personal assassinations
Meanwhile, leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly VD Satheesan on Saturday defended the Congress’s stance on suspended party MLA Rahul Mamkootathil
He said the Congress had already taken organisational action against Rahul Mamkootathil
“One cannot take punitive action twice for the same issue. The KPCC president has clearly explained the party’s position after consultations. That is the collective stand of the Congress,” he said
Accusing the CPM of protecting the criminals , Satheesan said the left party has fielded a candidate convicted in a case involving a bomb attack on a police vehicle in Payyannur.
“The court found him guilty of attempting to kill police personnel and sentenced him to 20 years in prison. Still, the CPM is protecting him. This shows their double standards,” Satheesan said in Kannur on Saturday.