Congress expels Palakkad councillor after sexual assault allegation

Palakkad: The Congress on Saturday expelled its municipal councillor Prashobh C Valsan after a Dalit woman disclosed details of her sexual assault complaint she filed against him. The party, which is looking to break away from an earlier controversy involving MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, may face additional heat in the run-up to the Assembly polls due to the latest row.

The issue came to light after a Dalit woman disclosed details of her complaint, which she had submitted to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Palakkad District Police Chief. Following this, the District Congress Committee expelled Prashobh from the party. DCC president A Thankappan also demanded his resignation as councillor.

The woman publicly raised the allegation on Friday, accusing the councillor, who is considered a close associate of Mammmkootathil, of sexually assaulting her. Congress had expelled incumbent Palakkad MLA Mamkootathil following multiple sexual harassment complaints.

According to the complainant, Prashobh befriended her on the pretext of offering a job and later visited her residence, where he allegedly assaulted her. Police are expected to record her statement soon as part of the ongoing inquiry.

Meanwhile, both the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) are preparing to raise the issue during their respective election campaigns. LDF candidate N M Razaq termed the incident unacceptable on humanitarian grounds. NDA leader Sobha Surendran demanded immediate registration of a case and the arrest of the accused, warning of protests if there is any delay. She also said she would approach the district police chief if required.

Prashobh represents Ward 24 of the Palakkad Municipality. There were allegations that Mamkootathil, who had gone into hiding after police registered a case against him based on sexual allegations, had returned to Palakkad to campaign for Prashobh during the recently held local body elections. After his victory, Prashobh is said to have visited the MLA.