Kerala: NCP takes action against four more party leaders

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Four more NCP leaders have been suspended from the party in connection with the controversy in which party leader and state minister AK Saseendran had allegedly tried to ‘settle’ a sexual harassment case against a party leader in Kollam.
Nationalist Mahila Congress state vice-president Honey Victo, party state committee member Pradeep Kumar, Kundara block president Benedict and NCP Youth Congress Kollam president Biju were suspended from the party based on NCP’s enquiry report. The suspension, said NCP state president PC Chacko on Monday, was initiated against these leaders for sullying the good will of the party in front of the public.
After NCP state office-bearers meeting, Chacko told reporters that Saseendran had intervened in the issue without knowing that the case pertained to sexual harassment. However, the party has instructed Saseendran to be more vigilant while making phone calls.
According to NCP leadership, it was Honey Victo who circulated the petition filed by the complainant against an NCP leader at the police station. Kumar, using his close connection with the minister, pressed him to make the controversial phone call to the complainant’s father.
It was Benedict who recorded his conversation with the minister and shared it with the media. Biju was suspended for his open criticism against the party in connection with the controversy.
NCP leadership is also learnt to have decided to instil more discipline in party committees. As part of this, all memorandums to the minister would be routed only through the party state committee.
Last week, Saseendran had admitted that he had called the father of the complainant without knowing that it was a harassment complaint. He had said that when he realized the seriousness of the case, he did not compel the father of the complainant to withdraw the complaint or settle the matter.