The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday staged a protest and marched towards the Congress office, demanding action against Congress MP and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, who has been accused of sexual harassment.
BJP Mahila Morcha workers and other party members accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of shielding Akoijam and questioned whether “smash the patriarchy” was merely a political slogan.
“Rahul Gandhi has been shielding the professor accused of sexual harassment. Congress talks about ‘Ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon’, but it has not taken any action against the professor,” Leela Singh, a member of the BJP’s SC Morcha, told HT.
BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj also criticised Gandhi for his alleged “double standards” and accused him of shielding a “predator” in the Lok Sabha.
“An internal committee report found that all the complaints of sexual harassment lodged by female students against the sitting Congress MP from Inner Manipur, Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, were true and recommended his dismissal,” Swaraj said, according to news agency ANI.
“I would like to ask if ‘smash the patriarchy’ is merely a political slogan. If not, why haven’t you taken action against your sitting MP yet? It is because of your double standards. He (Rahul Gandhi) not only gives a seat in the Lok Sabha to such an individual, a predator, but also shields him through his silence,” she added.
Visuals showed protesters pushing against and climbing over barricades as they attempted to continue their march towards the Congress office.
Why was Akoijam terminated?
The protest came after JNU terminated Akoijam’s services following an inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment involving female students.
Earlier on Monday, Delhi Police registered a first information report (FIR) against him at Vasant Kunj North police station following a complaint filed by the university’s chief security officer on October 11.
A senior police officer said the FIR was registered under Sections 75, 75(1)(i), 75(1)(iv) and 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in connection with allegations of sexual harassment and gestures intended to insult a woman’s modesty. The investigation is underway, the officer said.
The university terminated Akoijam’s services on October 9 following an internal committee inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment by female students. At least 11 students filed complaints against him in May, alleging sexual misconduct during viva examinations.
Akoijam denied the allegations and questioned the university’s inquiry process. He described the case as a “witch hunt”, alleging that the complaints were false and malicious. He also accused the university of procedural lapses and the media of conducting a trial by publicity.
“The issue of technicalities and procedural lapses is important, but far more important is to call out the lies and fabrication that form the complaint itself; it must be exposed,” he said, adding that his team of lawyers would handle the matter.
Akoijam represents the Inner Manipur parliamentary constituency in the Lok Sabha.