Congress MP Shashi Tharoor once again threw his weight behind CPI(M) legislator and actor Mukesh, who was arrested in a sexual assault case on Tuesday. The Kollam MLA need not resign because he was booked in the case, the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha member and intellectual said.
The Congress and the CPI(M) are bitter rivals in the southern state despite being members of the I.N.D.I Alliance nationally. Tharoor's party colleague and Kollam DCC chief Bindhu Krishnan was defeated by popular Mollywood star Mukesh to get re-elected from his home turf.
ALSO READ | Malayalam actor Edavela Babu arrested in rape case
Tharoor once again backed the Left leader while his party remains on the warpath demanding his resignation.
If Mukesh resigns now and is proven innocent in the said case three months later, there is no way for him to reclaim the position, Tharoor said. The police are doing their job, but there is no need for a person to resign his office based on an accusation, he said.
The former Union Minister of State said that this was his personal opinion and not that of his party, Mathrubhimi reported.
"An MLA is a representative of the people, who was elected by the voters. Now there has been an arrest. If found guilty, the story is different. If the the representative resigns on mere allegations, or if the police say we don't have a case after three months, what will happen to his position?" Tharoor reportedly asked.
"People have certain rights to elect their representatives. That's it. I am a person who believes that no matter who does wrong, justice should be delivered in its own way," Mathrubhumi quoted Tharoor as saying.
ALSO READ | Malayalam actor Jayasurya, facing sexual harassment charges, reaches Kochi from USA
When the allegations of sexual misconduct against Mukesh came up, Tharoor had said that every person has the right to prove his innocence. First, it should be proven whether he is guilty or innocent. The rest of the discussions can wait, he added. The Congressman had said that if there were multiple harassment complaints against a person, it should be seriously investigated.
Sexual harassment charges agaist Mukesh
Mukesh was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for allegedly sexually assaulting another female actor a decade ago in Kochi. He was released on bail after his formal arrest, having already secured bail. Before his arrest was formally recorded, Mukesh was interrogated by the SIT for more than three hours at the Coastal Police Headquarters here.
The rape complaints were filed after the state Culture Ministry released selected portions of the Justice K Hema Committee report following a legal battle. The committee was established by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case. Its report highlighted instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.
