New Delhi, Oct 12: The BJP Mahila Morcha on Monday staged a protest at the Congress headquarters on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg here, demanding the expulsion of Jawaharlal Nehru University professor and Manipur Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam from the party after he was accused in the JNU “Marks for Sex” scandal.
A small group of Mahila Morcha workers broke through the barricades and reached the gate of Congress headquarters, where they confronted Congress workers while demanding the expulsion of the MP, said a BJP statement. The Congress workers present there allegedly pushed the women and hurled abusive remarks at them, it said. The protest was organised under the leadership of BJP Mahila Morcha National President and MP Roop Kumari Choudhary and conducted by Delhi BJP General Secretary Yogita Singh, said the statement.
BJP Mahila Morcha National President Roop Kumari Choudhary said, “We strongly condemn the exploitation of students under the pretext of awarding marks by a Congress MP. The Congress must immediately expel this MP from the party because the daughters of our country are demanding justice.” “We want to ask Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi: Why are you silent? Your silence suggests that you are encouraging such acts and shielding those accused in serious cases of sexual exploitation,” she said.
The protest was attended by BJP National Vice President D. Purandeswari Devi, Delhi BJP in-charge Darshana Jardosh, Haryana BJP President Archana Gupta, Uttar Pradesh Mahila Morcha President Saroj Kushwaha, Delhi BJP Mahila Morcha President Archana Gupta, Delhi MPs Kamaljeet Sehrawat and Bansuri Swaraj, and in-charge Aarti Mehra, along with several MPs, MLAs, municipal councillors and thousands of Delhi Mahila Morcha workers. BJP National Vice President D. Purandeswari Devi said that Congress leaders who speak about women’s rights, dignity and empowerment must clarify their position on this matter.
Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and other senior Congress leaders should come forward in support of the affected female students and demand an impartial investigation and justice, she said. New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj said that it was shocking that Rahul Gandhi and the top Congress leadership, who raise the slogan “Smash the Patriarchy”, had maintained silence over serious allegations of harassment against their own MP.
“I want to ask Rahul Gandhi whether your silence amounts to tacit support for the alleged sexual misconduct of your sitting MP, Bimol Akoijam. If ‘Smash the Patriarchy’ is not merely an election slogan for you, demonstrate it by taking action against Bimol Akoijam. Respect for and the safety of women cannot be established merely through speeches from public platforms; they must be demonstrated by ensuring accountability in serious cases such as this.”
Swaraj further said that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi had introduced the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam to increase women’s political participation and empower them, Rahul Gandhi and Congress had worked to obstruct its implementation. Kamaljeet Sehrawat said that the inquiry committee had found the professor guilty following its investigation and that he had been removed from the university.
Despite this, the professor concerned continues to be a sitting Congress MP. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi frequently speak about women’s rights and dignity, but their silence and the party’s position in this case have raised serious questions, she said.
IANS