Thiruvananthapuram, October 6 (Daily Kiran) : In Thiruvananthapuram, the political landscape is shifting as allegations of sexual harassment have emerged against E.N. Suresh Babu, the CPI-M’s district secretary in Palakkad. The situation escalated following a formal complaint demanding a criminal investigation into the matter. This has raised significant concerns regarding the silence of party leaders, including opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan.
On Tuesday, John Daniel, the state Congress secretary, submitted a formal complaint to Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, urging action against Suresh Babu. The complaint also implicates Vijayan and CPI-M state secretary M.V. Govindan, alleging they were aware of the serious accusations but chose to conceal them instead of referring the matter to the police.
Daniel emphasized the gravity of the issue, particularly regarding the safety of women in public life. He called for a thorough police investigation and strict measures against Suresh Babu.
The complaint follows reports that a young female lawyer had approached CPI-M leadership with allegations of sexual harassment against Suresh Babu. It is claimed that she provided digital evidence to support her allegations. Furthermore, the woman stated that Suresh Babu continued to contact and harass her after the initial incident.
Initially, the CPI-M leadership attempted to address the complaint internally. However, scrutiny has intensified due to the lack of an official statement regarding whether the complaint influenced Suresh Babu’s removal from his position.
When questioned by reporters on Tuesday, Vijayan refrained from commenting. Senior party leaders, including K.K. Shailaja, E.P. Jayarajan, M.V. Jayarajan, V.N. Vasavan, and Thomas Isaac, also avoided providing clear answers about the complaint. Isaac stated he was unaware of the events in Palakkad and was focused on issues in Pathanamthitta.
In response to the controversy, Jayarajan defended the party’s actions, labeling them as organizational and accusing the media of fabricating stories to target CPI-M.
The unfolding situation has sparked sharp political rhetoric. Rahul Mamkuthathil, a former Congress MLA previously accused of sexual misconduct and expelled from the party, took to social media to criticize Suresh Babu. He alleged that the young female lawyer was lured to the party office under the guise of discussing a case, where she was subsequently sexually harassed.
Tensions within the party and the political arena continue to rise as this story develops.
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