Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, who was dismissed from JNU following sexual harassment allegations, on Friday said that he would legally challenge the action within a day or two.
Akoijam, who taught at the Centre for the Study of Social Systems under JNU’s School of Social Sciences, was dismissed on October 9 following an inquiry into allegations of sexual misconduct by 11 women students.
The Congress MP from Inner Manipur, who returned to Imphal from Delhi on Friday after appearing before investigators at Vasant Kunj North police station on Thursday in connection with a sexual harassment case, said his legal team would challenge the university’s action within a day or two.
He said he would continue to cooperate with the police investigation while pursuing legal recourse to clear his name. Akoijam has maintained that the allegations against him were “fabricated” and “concocted”.
Akoijam appealed to his supporters to remain calm. He also urged the media to focus on Manipur’s prevailing security situation and the plight of internally displaced persons.
His supporters had gathered at Imphal airport on Friday just as they did on Thursday before his departure for Delhi to appear before the police.
Support for Akoijam also came from women’s wing of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (Cocomi), an Imphal-based civil society organisation, about JNU’s handling of the allegations and the political mobilisation seeking Akoijam’s resignation.
At a media conference in Imphal on Friday, the women’s wing raised questions about the procedure followed by the university and the campaign against the Congress MP following its action against him.
The ruling BJP, however, continued to demand Akoijam’s resignation. Members of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) staged a protest outside the Congress headquarters in Imphal on Friday afternoon. The protesters took out a rally from the BJP office to Congress Bhavan, carrying placards and raising slogans against Akoijam and the Congress leadership.
Security personnel were deployed in large numbers to prevent the protesters from entering Congress Bhavan. Congress leaders said Youth Congress members also raised slogans against the BJP and came out to protest against the ruling party, but were stopped by police.
Party leaders claimed that the police picked up Manipur Youth Congress president W. Anand Singh during the protest and subsequently arrested him.
However, there was no official confirmation of Singh’s arrest.
Congress Legislature Party leader K. Meghachandra Singh condemned the action in a post on X, saying peaceful protest was a democratic right and essential to a functioning democracy.
“The police must act impartially and ensure that the law is applied equally to everyone, without political bias or discrimination. Why were the BJP protesters who allegedly stormed the Congress office not arrested, while Congress leaders are being arrested for participating in protests? Is there one law for the BJP and another for the Congress?,” he asked.