Amid Calls For Mukesh's Resignation, Kerala Govt Takes Cautious Approach To Allegations Against MLA

Leading Malayalam film actor and CPI(M) MLA M Mukesh faces growing calls to resign over the sexual misconduct allegations he is facing, as a female actor has filed a police complaint against him, but his party said it will await the probe's outcome before acting.

On a day a sexual abuse case was registered against actor Siddique based on a complaint by a woman actor, the Left government appears to have adopted a cautious approach in the case of MLA Mukesh, with two ministers indicating that further action hinges on the findings of the probe by the special police team.

Responding to queries on whether Mukesh would resign as an MLA, senior CPI(M) leader and state Finance Minister K N Balagopal said the state government has taken a strict stance on the Justice Hema Committee report's startling disclosures of sexual misconduct by male actors and subsequent allegations.

"The report is also before the Kerala High Court. A proper and transparent investigation will be carried out and based on its findings things will be taken forward. So, there is no need to go for any preconceived judgment," Balagopal said.

Earlier, state Forest Minister A K Saseendran said that Mukesh should be given an opportunity to prove his innocence and the complainant should be given the chance to show evidence of her allegations.

"That is how our legal justice system works. Steps will be taken according to it. Whether to resign or not is his (Mukesh) personal decision," the minister said.

Meanwhile, the Congress and BJP are pressuring Mukesh to resign as MLA, with BJP State President K Surendran reiterating the party's stance that Mukesh should step down.

BJP workers protested outside Mukesh's Kollam residence, demanding his resignation and action against him.

Both opposition parties oppose Mukesh's involvement in the cinema policy-making committee and the government-organised conclave on issues faced by women in the film industry.

Both parties have said that they would not allow the conclave to be held.

Meanwhile, an FIR under Sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered against Siddique at Museum Police Station in Thiruvananthapuram for allegedly raping a woman seeking a role in a film in 2016.

This is the second FIR against a high-profile film personality following the allegations of sexual harassment against various directors and actors in the wake of revelations in the Justice Hema Committee report.

The first case, under IPC Section 354 (assault or criminal force on woman with intent to outrage her modesty), was against director Ranjith on a complaint by a female actor from West Bengal regarding an incident in 2009.

Siddique had also resigned from his post as general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (A.M.M.A) following the allegations against him.

Meanwhile, director Vinayan sent a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urging him to remove B Unnikrishnan, the general secretary of the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), from the film policy making committee.

Vinayan stated that Unnikrishnan, FEFKA, A.M.M.A and some others were together fined over Rs 4 lakh by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for banning him and a few other actors, technicians and producers from working on movies.

The CCI order, which came on a complaint by Vinayan, was later upheld by the Supreme Court, the director said in his Facebook post.

Vinayan said that this was also mentioned in the Hema Committee report and urged the CM not to include Unnikrishnan in the film policy making committee.

The Congress-led opposition on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Left government by raising five pointed questions on the Hema committee report, alleging a blatant cover-up and accusing it of shielding key persons by glossing over crucial facts.

Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly V D Satheesan alleged that the government is on the defensive regarding the Hema Committee report.

Satheesan said the opposition is demanding answers to five key questions: "Why hasn't the government investigated the crimes revealed in the Hema Committee report? Why hasn't action been taken against those who committed crimes against women and children, despite laws stating that covering up sexual offences is a crime? "Who is the government trying to protect by removing pages and paragraphs from the Hema Committee report before it was provided under the RTI Act? What action has been taken on the widespread use of drugs and narcotics in the film industry, which was described in the Hema Committee Report? And why is the government taking a stance against women?" The Congress leader said that answering these questions and making a decision can lead to a permanent solution to these problems.

The Justice Hema Committee was constituted by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case, and its report revealed instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.

Amidst allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation against several actors and directors, the state government announced the establishment of a seven-member special investigation team on August 25 to probe them.

Subsequently, many complaints surfaced, creating ripples in the Malayalam film industry. 

--PTI ---