Pathanamthitta, Dec 2 : Kerala Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan on Tuesday asserted that the Congress party had shown exemplary transparency and responsibility in handling the fresh complaint received against party MLA Rahul Mamkootathil.

â??No other political party in Kerala had acted with such integrity,â?? said Satheesan.

Satheesan said the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president forwarded the complaint to the State Police Chief within an hour of receiving it, without keeping it in his possession even briefly.

â??What more model behaviour can a political party demonstrate?â?? he asked.

He contrasted this with the Left Democratic Frontâ??s handling of complaints.

â??Several serious complaints have been given to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the CPI(M) state secretary, but none of those complaints were ever forwarded to the police,â?? he said.

â??But here, the KPCC president immediately handed over the complaint to the police. Let the police investigate and take appropriate action.â??

Satheesan reiterated that the Congress had taken a principled stand even when the first FIR was filed in the earlier case involving the MLA.

â??We said then, too, that the law must take its course. The party has taken a strong and consistent position. No party in Kerala has displayed such firmness,â?? he said.

He pointed out that Congress had initiated disciplinary action in the earlier episode even before any formal complaint was filed.

â??That itself showed our commitment to moral accountability,â?? he added.

Regarding the fresh allegation, Satheesan said the party leadership would discuss it collectively and decide the next steps.

He emphasised that the KPCC chief received the complaint with a request for party-level action, but since it contained an allegation of a criminal offence, he rightly forwarded it to the police.

â??No other party has acted this way in Kerala,â?? Satheesan claimed.

â??The CPI(M), even when receiving complaints against its own leaders, conducts internal inquiries and settles them quietly. We, on the other hand, stand tall and proud. When a complaint came, we referred it straight to the police. We are not here to defend anyone. If a mistake is committed, the police must investigate and decide,â?? added Satheesan.

/IANS