Sexual harassment charges: Opposition parties demand CPM legislator Mukesh's resignation
Thiruvananthapuram/Kochi: Veteran CPI leader Annie Raja, the Congress and the BJP have called for the resignation of actor and CPM legislator M. Mukesh's resignation from the Assembly, as he has been accused of sexual harassment. He has refused to oblige, calling the controversy a political drama and called for a transparent probe.
"Individuals in positions of power ought to resign to undergo investigation. Otherwise, it may lead the public to question the integrity of the probe. The government should ensure that such doubts are not cast," Annie Raja said.
If Mukesh does not step down, he should be removed from his position to allow for a fair investigation. Annie Raja stated that the mass resignation from AMMA, the film stars' association, was unavoidable. She expressed her hope that this collective step down would catalyze a thorough transformation within the film industry.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V.D. Satheesan and BJP state president K. Surendran said that Mukesh ought to resign from his position as MLA. “Kerala society is keenly watching how he and his party will respond,” Surendran said.
He also said that if the government had taken action against the “real culprits”, innocent persons in the film industry would not have been attacked. Surendran accused the CPM and the state government of protecting Mukesh. “If director Ranjith and actor Sidhique can resign, then why not Mukesh,” he asked.
In a statement, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) accused the state government of trying to protect certain persons by not taking any action based on the Justice Hema Committee report.
The KPCC further said that the government took the objectionable stand that a case would be filed only if a formal complaint is received despite instances of sexual violence and exploitation being revealed in the report.
Mukesh, in his response, said that the woman who made the allegations against him had first approached him in 2009 seeking an opportunity to act in films.
“I gave the usual reply that I will try. She later sent me messages on WhatsApp praising my behaviour when she had met me personally,” he claimed.
In 2022, the woman again contacted him over the phone and demanded huge financial assistance from him, Mukesh claimed. Later, a man claiming to be her husband had also demanded money from him over the phone, the CPM MLA alleged.
“The group which was trying to blackmail me for money has now turned against me when they got the opportunity,” he contended.
He said that while he never tried to harm anyone's dignity or individuality, he will not succumb to blackmail tactics.
