Taking on powerful men in politics: Rini Ann George on Rahul Mamkootathil row

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:00]Actor and former journalist Reini Anne George was the first woman who publicly alleged inappropriate behavior against Congress MLA Rahul Mangutil. She did not take his name but people put two and two together. Thereafter three women came forward and filed separate police complaints alleging offenses including rape, physical assault, mental abuse and forced abortion. Rahul was subsequently expelled from the party and he's currently out on bail. But Reini continues to be cyberbullied relentlessly.

[00:00:36]Even recently during the swearing in ceremony of Kerala's new chief minister Vidi Sadishan, Reini was ridiculed and humiliated by a mob of Congress workers.

[00:00:47]Rahul on the other hand was greeted with cheer and mirth by many. We have Reinnie with us today. We speak to her about power, political intimidation and the personal cost of speaking up. Thank you Reinie for joining us.

[00:01:02]>> Thank you. Thank you for inviting me here.

[00:01:05]>> Uh first of all I just want to ask you how has life been lately? All we see are social media posts against you targeting you and uh so I just want to know how your work has been in the middle of all this. What has been professional and personal impact of all this? Actually after speaking up the this issue uh as all know I'm facing a lot of issues from the uh public not from the public I can I can't say like that but from the people who support uh uh this so-called politician uh as you know uh I'm getting so much of threat uh abuses mainly from through online. So first I thought it's okay because just uh some cyber attack and all people are giving some uh uh saying some bad comments or something like that. So I thought it's uh I avoided it actually. I mean I ignored it actually. But later what happened is uh uh when I went to the swearing ceremony uh some people uh came and uh group of people not everybody not every congress people all are very uh polite and friendly with me but some of the people came and u um uh like they bullied me and publicly they bullied me actually and uh it created a lot of issues. uh after that what happened is they uh they purposefully taken this video and the surface to uh internet otherwise it won't go public like that but they tried to abuse me in social media also so after that uh um I spoke up against it and I said that enter Congress is not against me or they are not against me and all that and after that this started a um cyber attack targeting me and trying to tarnish my image. And this time the uh issue has worsened because they're trying to socially outcast me, shaming me and uh targeting me and giving me a like such names that is uh that as a woman uh it's very difficult actually but uh what uh my opinion is that I'm very strong in this case because I decided to speak up. So I'm ready to face the consequences. But what the exact issue is by seeing all this women will uh feel like uh women feel like they don't want to speak up because if they speak up their fate will be like this. So they they are trying to give an image that what's happening to Reini will happen to girls too and other other girls too. So they're trying to actually they're trying to make them afraid girls afraid. Um but in this case in for me I'm very strong and I know all the consequences that I'm going to face about it. But what makes me sad is that uh this is against women or ender women is suffering like ender women will uh feel suffered due to this things like they they feel like they don't want to talk if they talk about this abuses and all the same fate will come to them.

[00:04:18]>> So when you talk about consequences you're talking about how you are um you feel strong enough at this point to face consequences. So now that is I'm assuming you're talking about the mental health and the credibility impact of the problem. How has your work been? You're someone who works in advertising and you're an actor. So actually this film career uh all these carriers are uh uh they only want women who adjust with anything. The women who are bald and speak up they are not encouraged.

[00:04:51]Actually we all know about the examples of Parvati and all that if any girl if any actress spoke something baldly baldly they are not allowed actually they are not uh treated equally they are not uh encouraged after that. So uh feeling field in these fields uh only encourage such women who adjust with everything and who can go through anything any any issues and they have to keep silent. This is what uh a film field they are only uh encouraging such people such women. So this is an issue that I'm facing where I'm worried. I don't know how my career will go after that but I'm okay with it because uh I think more than that uh I am strong enough to uh speak up the things that issues that facing by women especially we know in every sector in politics or filing field anywhere women are selected. We know that women are in higher positions and power positions.

[00:05:51]These women uh these days women are coming to higher positions and power positions. But women are selected only for name sake. If they speak up they are uh ignored later after that they are uh so they are outcasted from the society.

[00:06:07]This is happening. We know reasonly in Amma's issue Amma issue AMMA issue Ansiba is facing the same. So if women speak up they are not encouraged. This is what happening in this uh in every sector.

[00:06:21]>> So you feel that is trickling down to your professional prospects as well.

[00:06:25]You're slightly concerned about it at this point.

[00:06:27]>> I'm concerned about this not just in filmfield politics we all know that see in recent elections we know we in Kerala there are 140 constituencies but how many women actually contested from this constituency? you know like even if even this UDF or LTF only uh like uh 10 women not more than 10 women contested in the election so what's happening to women women are just for women uh names sake like even political parties even political parties says that we are inside of women we are into women empowerment and all but what's happening actually is what we have to discuss especially in the swearing ceremony we all know that uh Congress has put forward that we are in favor of women.

[00:07:12]But after this issue even any is there any leader who came up saying that uh this is not the way we have to do this is not the right way.

[00:07:20]>> So nobody has publicly condemned what happened to you during the swearing and cere ceremony. So a little bit about that. Um you are also someone who is quite uh sort of uh friendly with a lot of leaders uh especially Vidi Sadishan because you are also from Paravore his constituency. you have been interacting with him and um all of that. So um when this thing happened at that place and despite you being someone who um people in power people in the party know of and you have raised this issue before and this Rahul Mangutil allegations are not just from your party there have been police cases now which he's fighting and several women leaders from the congress itself have spoken about his uh alleged predatory behavior etc. So if I say that this reflects this uh pe people from the party not commenting on what happened to you, people from the party not saying that this is not right. If I say that this reflects the culture of this party, what would you say? It's not just because uh just the culture of the party. This is the culture of this is our culture. We can say like that it's the culture of Kerala or maybe the Indian culture. Women are always ignored. Women are not considered as some something someone equal to men. We all know that. So uh this is part of everywhere in in Kerala in India actually uh if women spoke of spoke up if women are bald enough they are not encouraged as I said uh before so we can't say that it's happening just in a party everywhere everywhere in every parties is actually happening like in LDF also in UDF also uh women are sidelined we we already know that women are sidelined and in every field this is happening in these uh these atrocities against women is rooted in our culture.

[00:09:15]Actually, it's rooted in our culture. So I can say like that uh like that only that's uh uh issues uh facing by women is rooted in our culture and we are just pretending that uh women are equal and we are all uh appreciating women uh women should come forward. All these are just pretentions. Just pretentions.

[00:09:37]Actually in reality the women who are bald and who speak up are not treated equally they people try to outcast them socially outcast them. This is what happening to me. I in this case I I never did any mistake. I just told something happened that in my life and I never mentioned the name or party. But after that these things get get viral and uh people are people are saying that this is a person and after that many women came forward and this happened actually I think that this all happened because of some fate and never mention anybody's name still I am targeted and I I'm cyber attacked uh like they are cyber they are attacking me tremendously they are attacking me like in in a way that I can't even explain like uh they are using many names like shaming me and they are even saying that uh I am an agent of CPM like they are giving a lot of stories a false false stories and many people are believing it too that is the main issue many people are believing it so this is happening everywhere I can't say that this is happening in gesture party or this party is the problem I can't say like that everywhere women is treated in this way >> so first when you spoke about this when you just mentioned like you said you did not take his name but when you spoke about this for the first time did you anticipate this level of backlash?

[00:11:04]>> Never never never I never anticipated this level of backlash. Uh because I never mentioned a name actually I spoke because of my um because of my sadness or from my heart I spoke actually it's like a um me breakdown or something like that. I just told what happened in my life but I never thought this kind of backlash and also if some some kind of issues came up I thought it will last only for two or three weeks or something but this is happening from last 9 10 months I'm facing this issue if I go out some people will come to uh come and say bad things about me like if I can if I go to uh Congress party's program or somewhere everyone is trying to uh backlash me I never thought this this could happen this like uh this could backlash will happen to me. I never thought I never thought.

[00:11:58]>> Has there been anybody from the party Congress leaders who have uh privately told you that uh the alleg MLA Rahul Mangutil is problematic or that they have found that uh uh he has the allegations seem to have some merit because a lot of people have been coming forward and speaking about it. Is there anybody in the Congress who has spoken to you like that and who has reassured you privately but has distanced themselves publicly without taking names maybe? Yes. that happened actually like not just one or two many leaders had told me that this issues is there and we all know that and we all are supporting you and but they are afraid to speak up actually because if they supported me publicly they will also get attacked by the people and all. So Reini looking at this from the outside uh Rahul is a young politician. Yes. He was a promising name of the Congress. Yes.

[00:12:57]But you spoke about how you were uh threatened your threatened outcast.

[00:13:01]There is this whole online campaign against you. And you kept mentioning they outcast me, they attack me, they shame me. So two things I want to ask you here. One, who do you think is this they when you know even senior leaders of the Congress themselves privately admit that this is there is a problem at hand. Who is this they that that are lobbying for this very young politician and what kind of do you think I mean what in your understanding what what kind of bargaining power does Rahul Mangotil have that there is this huge online campaign against you or even among the other you know against the other survivors? I don't know about it actually because uh uh some maybe some people are supporting that person.

[00:13:45]Anyway, I'm not uh I never mentioned his name or anything. I just uh supported the women or the victims. That was my uh I said from the earlier that I'm supporting the victims because as a woman I have to support the victims and I don't know who is uh trying to do all this cyber attacks and all. Maybe some uh people are there. I don't know about it actually. CM Vidi Sadishan is also someone who right from the beginning took a stand against Rahul Mangutil and he vehemently opposed taking Rahul back and he was someone who said that Rahul should be dismissed and all of that. So do you think this uh uh public campaign is also in some way to pressurize the CM into taking this person back or to sort of bring down the gravity of the complaints in the eyes of the public and to build back image and control damage?

[00:14:38]>> I think so actually uh they are trying to uh defame me and by defaming me he's try that person is trying to uh whitewash himself. I think that's happening actually they are uh using me as a tool by uh defaming me and uh shaming me people may get uh people may think that all these are just madeup stories and all uh they are always trying to find out something from me uh to create this kind of image like if I said something if I'm giving an interview two lines uh they use that two lines against me two or three lines which people may feel people may misinterpret it some kind some sentences that may mistook they take that two sentences or three sentences and make uh reals reals from out of that. So um people are uh not ready to see the uh 30 minutes or 40 minutes interview fully but they will obviously watch this 30 seconds or 25 seconds reals. So from that they are getting an they are falsely getting an image that this woman is something bad or someone who is very bad and also even my dressings dressing styles also uh it's my personal choice which dress I should wear and which not to wear and uh using this they're trying to um give an image that a woman should dress up like this dress up like this if she is modern she is bad these kind of thoughts are uh they're trying to uh injecture such thoughts into people's mind and they are trying to uh defame me through that. Uh people may think that oh that guy is u no that guy is just accused uh like falsely accused something like that and they're trying to whitewash him using my image by defaming me. So you're saying that uh a general patriarchal sexist context that is there out there in society is being capitalized into and used against you.

[00:16:39]>> Yes. Yes. That is the thing that uh people have thought that uh people are like uh they giving modern patriarchy and women are considered as someone secondary and these kind of thoughts these people who is creating the res and all knows the know this attitude of general public they are using against me and making an image out of it and trying to socially outcast me.

[00:17:03]So Reie from what I understand and from what senior women leaders of the Congress have also spoken about when this whole allegations uh came up against Rahul Mango is that there have been several complaints of several degrees even within the party from women in the party and outside and like you said people in the party are aware of this. Now, why do you think that a political party waits until things go absolutely out of hand and an absolutely violent complaint comes to take any action against an against a man even when they're sitting on this information.

[00:17:39]That's what I'm said. This is the this is the way our society prevails. they are not ready to take action. Even if the first case is coming like first complaint does uh uh uh first complain they are not taking any action. It's not about any party or anything. They actually our society thinks that if someone from a party or someone from an institute or someone from a uh from a from an institute uh is accused they think that uh the entire system people will think that the entire system is bad or the entire party people are bad. So uh that that issue that is an issue we are raising about a specific person but people think that people may think that that institute is bad all men there are bad. So these kind of thoughts though so people are afraid to say it in public because if if this complaint come outside our institution will be treated as bad or our party will be treated as bad bad. So they are trying to suppress the compl complaint from the first. The problem is that people may think that that institute of party is bad. Nobody is thinking that this we are uh just pointing out the certain person or or a just a person. So they have to act take action against that person. So it will actually give good image in the public that we that we can understand from the things that happened recently. If someone take take action people will take take it in a positive way only. But people think that this in these people think that oh it will affect our party's name. So in order to save our party or in order to save our institute we have to uh suppress it. This is the attitude prevailing all over India not just in in a party or in a uh uh in an institute or anywhere. This is happening all over India because it it is cultured it's rooted in in that way.

[00:19:40]>> Right. Have you at any point felt that you shouldn't have spoken up about this?

[00:19:49]>> No, I never uh thought like that because I think it's my uh maybe it's my fate that I have to spoke up and I think it's a good thing that happened in my life.

[00:19:59]But um yeah, as personally many many kind of uh like backlashes are happening to me. That's that's that's part of it.

[00:20:08]But I'm trying to uh I'm trying to take it as positive only because uh I think that at least one person should be very strong uh strong enough to speak up all this uh negative attitudes. So I thought it's uh it's destined in my life. So I'm happy with that actually.

[00:20:29]>> What do you want to tell women who may be watching to all this? what you're being subjected to and what the other survivors who you support who they have been subjected to in terms of character assassination and all. There may be many women out there who may be watching this and feeling they should not speak up because this is what they will go through or what is what do you want to tell women who are watching?

[00:20:57]uh for the women uh I can say that uh we shouldn't be afraid of seeing all these things. We should speak up. If any kind of uh bad things happen to us, we should speak up because uh it's we all know that this is a patriarchal society but we have to find some uh existence. We women should also find out some existence in this society. We should we our voice should be heard. That's very important. So seeing all these things we shouldn't uh become afraid or uh step back from all this. We have to come forward and raise uh raise our opinions and stand firmly against all that happening against us as a as women. We should fought against this and also I think as women we have to be together.

[00:21:51]Actually we have to be together. So if we are on if we are together we can uh bring many changes in society. Just one girl can't do anything to the society.

[00:22:02]So we have to be together and we should fight against the injustice that is happening to women.

[00:22:08]>> Cheers to that. Um finally today if there's any kind of accountability or remedy that you are expecting what is it what does that look like?

[00:22:19]I think uh law should be enforced enforced more strongly. Low uh especially the cyber attacks and all uh people are not uh especially the political parties or the government is not giving much importance this to the cyber attack and all.

[00:22:38]Actually the problem is by seeing this cyber attacks and seeing all these bad comments against women even our children are seeing this and our culture is getting bad and bad worsen. So first we have to uh think first we have to do is we have to enforce this law especially the cyber laws that's happening uh women are treated mistreated in cyber areas that should be changed first and the other thing is by uh encouraging this in cyber space this will happen in real world also soon because these kind of thought is generated among the people that women should be treated like this women can be abused women can be uh use this kind of words bad words and all. So this may happen in real life too. People are thinking now just happening in cyber world this nothing is happening in real world so it's okay but it's not like that. So this culture this culture should be changed in everywhere like so this social media is also a public platform. It's like a public platform as we traveling in a bus or traveling in a uh going outside we have to uh keep some etiquette. The same thing should be happened in uh cyber cyber areas also.

[00:23:51]The first thing first thing have to be uh first thing that have to change is in the cyber area like women should be treated equal in cyber areas. If someone is uh saying some opinion or someone is uh dressing according to their will. No one has uh the right to uh like say bad things about the women. So first we have to do that and uh the abuses and rapes against women they should be uh strictly punished law should be enforced that is the main thing we have to do. Uh then um as a uh as we we have to we have to create a thought that women and men are equal and this is not the way women should be treated in everywhere like not not just in cyber area not just in real world everywhere women should be treated as equal and modestly.

[00:24:43]>> Thank you Reinie. Thank you for speaking to us. For those of you watching, like I said in the beginning, this is a conversation on power, on political intimidation, and on the personal cost of speaking up. We at the News Minute have been following stories like this.

[00:24:58]We have been talking to women to survivors because these voices are important. So, if you agree with our journalism, you can power us by becoming a subscriber. Scan the QR code on the screen or log on to the Newsminut website and become a subscriber. Thank you.