Muraleedharan Counters Sudhakaran for Defending Rahul Mankootathil

Thiruvananthapuram: Senior leader K. Muraleedharan has come forward to counter former KPCC president K. Sudhakaran, who had defended Rahul Mankootathil, accused of sexually assaulting a young woman and forcing her to undergo an illegal abortion. Muraleedharan said that Rahul Mankootathil is currently suspended and does not have permission to share a stage with party leaders. He added that an investigation is ongoing regarding the allegations against Rahul and that the party cannot take further action at this moment. He urged the girl to come forward bravely, assuring that she would have public support.

Sudhakaran had responded yesterday, claiming that the leaked audio recording was false and part of an attempt to defame Rahul. He argued that Rahul should actively step forward because the Congress trusts him. He said that speaking with Rahul over the phone convinced him that Rahul was not guilty and that he was willing to share a stage with him.

The controversy escalated when a new audio recording surfaced showing how Rahul forces the victim to terminate her pregnancy. Some party leaders strongly demanded that Mankootathil should not participate even in election events. In this context, Sudhakaran appeared to protect him. KPCC President Sunny Joseph and opposition leader V.D. Satheesh avoided making further comments on the audio recordings. However, Mankootathil has not yet denied the contents of the recordings.