Palakkad: Amid sexual harassment allegations against Congress MLA Rahul Mamkoottathil, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) staged a protest march to his office in Palakkad on Friday, demanding his resignation from the Assembly.

Despite police attempts to control the situation, a large number of SFI activists broke through barricades and marched to the MLA’s office. Meanwhile, KSU activists are reportedly camping at the office premises. It is learnt that additional police personnel are being deployed at the protest site.

Addressing the media, SFI district secretary Vipin accused Rahul Mamkoottathil of misbehaving with several women on social media. Calling him a “pervert who even targets transgender women,” he asserted that SFI would not allow Rahul to enter Palakkad.

Apart from SFI, the BJP and Mahila Morcha also staged protests demanding Rahul’s resignation.

The state has been witnessing widespread protests against the MLA after several women came forward accusing him of sending inappropriate messages. The controversy erupted after Malayalam actor Rini Ann George revealed on Wednesday that a “prominent young politician” had sent her obscene messages on Instagram and invited her to a hotel room. Though she did not name him, her remarks sparked widespread speculation.

Hours later, writer Honey Bhaskaran alleged that Rahul had initiated a conversation with her on Instagram and later made derogatory remarks about her to others. Following this, leaked chats of Rahul with several women began circulating online.

In an attempt to contain the damage to his party, Rahul resigned from his post as Youth Congress state president on Thursday. However, the Congress leadership dismissed calls for Rahul's resignation from the MLA post.