Kollam, Aug 29 : In a scathing attack against the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government in Kerala, Kollam Lok Sabha MP N.K. Premachandran on Thursday slammed the state unit of CPI-M for the manner in which it kept 'under wraps' the alleged crimes committed by its two time legislator, Mukesh.

Actor-politician Mukesh is in the docks after a former actress accused him and others of sexually misbehaving with her a few years back.

Incidentally, the state's film industry is drawing a lot of flak ever since the Hema Committee studying the condition of women in the Malayalam film industry revealed rampant sexual exploitation of women.

Among those who are facing the heat are actors Mukesh, Siddique, Jayasurya, Maniyan Pillai Raju, Edavela Babu, directors Ranjith, V.K. Prakash, and Tulasidas. The names of two production staff -- Noble and Vichu -- and a Congress worker, lawyer V.S. Chandrasekheran, have also been dragged into the matter.

Based on the revelations made by the victims soon after the Hema Committee report surfaced, cases have been registered against the above personalities at different police stations in the state.

Premachandran, who won the Lok Sabha polls as the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) candidate backed by the Congress-led UDF from Kollam, said the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government, which speaks so much on women's safety and women's rights, is guilty of protecting Mukesh.

Incidentally, Mukesh has been representing the Kollam Assembly constituency since 2016.

'We all know that the Hema Committee report was first submitted to Pinarayi Vijayan in 2019, which contained the names of all the exploiters. I want the Chief Minister to explain why despite knowing about Mukesh's wrongdoings, he allowed him to contest the recent Lok Sabha polls,' Premachandran asked.

In the elections held earlier this year, Premachandran trounced Mukesh in Kollam by a margin of over 1.50 lakh votes.

'The CPI-M must explain its stand as the complaint against Mukesh was made by a woman soon after the Hema Committee report was released. Along with the resignation of Mukesh, Minister of Culture Saji Cherian, who strongly defended him, should also quit,' Premachandran added.

Meanwhile, the top brass of the CPI-M which met here on Thursday has decided against asking Mukesh to resign as there are two sitting Congress legislators facing similar charges.

However, the opinion is divided in the CPI -- the second biggest ally in the Pinarayi Vijayan government -- as serious differences have surfaced with a majority of the leaders demanding Mukesh to step down as a legislator.

/IANS