Rahul Mamkootathil visits constituency weeks after sexual misconduct allegations
Palakkad (PTI): Suspended Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil on Wednesday arrived at the Palakkad constituency for the first time after the sexual misconduct allegations against him and the subsequent party action.
He last arrived at the constituency, which he represents in the Assembly, on August 17.
The MLA, who reportedly started from his house in Adoor in the morning, reached here in the accompaniment of local party leaders, sources said.
Mamkootathil arrived here to visit the house of a close relative of a local Congress leader.
Though he was surrounded by reporters, he declined to speak to them and walked away with a smile.
A large number of police personnel were deployed in front of the MLA office since morning, anticipating protests by opposition parties in view of Mamkootathil's visit.
Activists of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the ruling CPI(M), carried out a march with a microphone announcing the arrival of the Congress MLA. They urged women to be vigilant against the MLA.
Later in the day, Mamkootathil arrived at his MLA office and interacted with local party functionaries and other people there.
He said he was a person who led several agitations before and so he welcomed any protests against him.
"I have no negative stand towards protests. It is protests that strengthen democracy," he said, adding that he would talk to the media in detail later.
After shutting himself at his house for several days in view of allegations, Mamkootathil had walked into the Kerala Assembly last week, which was his first public appearance since being suspended from the party.
The SFI activists had blocked his vehicle near the MLA Hostel and staged a protest.
The MLA had later met the reporters in front of the Legislative Assembly complex here and clarified that his arrival in the House was not in defiance of the Congress leadership.
The legislator, however, was not ready to say anything regarding the allegations against him or about the purported audio clips regarding that, despite repeated questions by the media.
Mamkootathil recently quit as Youth Congress state president after Malayalam actress Rini Ann George accused "a young leader" of a well-known political party of misbehaviour and subsequent protests by the BJP and DYFI.
Subsequently, some women and a transgender person accused him of similar charges. He was also suspended from the Congress party over the allegations.
#WATCH | Palakkad, Kerala: Suspended Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil returned to his constituency today. This is his first visit to Palakkad since his suspension from the party amid allegations of sexual harassment against him. pic.twitter.com/oVTkk2bjpD
— ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2025
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Trump tells Fox News he's no longer sending Witkoff, Kushner to Pakistan for Iran talks
Islamabad (AP): President Donald Trump says he told top US envoys not to travel to Pakistan to negotiate with Iran, telling Fox News that "they can call us anytime they want.”
In a brief phone interview Saturday, Trump told Fox News that he told US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner “you're not going to be making any more 18 hour flights to sit around talking about nothing.”
Trump also said of the US side “we have all the cards.”
His comments came after the White House said Friday that Witkoff and Kushner would be heading to Pakistan for another round of negotiations with Iran.
