BJP women MPs seek ethics committee probe against Congress MP Bimol Akoijam over JNU allegations

A delegation of women MPs from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on October 15 met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and submitted a memorandum seeking an inquiry by the House Ethics Committee into Congress MP Bimol Akoijam over an alleged sexual harassment case linked to Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

BJP MP Daggubati Purandeswari said the delegation had requested the Speaker to refer the matter to the Ethics Committee and examine whether Akoijam should continue as a member of the Lok Sabha.

“We filed a memorandum that Congress MP Bimol had been found to be guilty by the internal committee. So, we requested the Speaker to refer this to the Ethics Committee and look into it,” Purandeswari said.

She added that the delegation had also sought an examination of whether the findings of the internal committee had any bearing on Akoijam’s continuation as a member of Parliament.

Purandeswari said the Speaker had assured the delegation that he would examine the matter and consider the legal options available, including the possibility of referring it to the Ethics Committee.

The BJP MP also criticised the Congress leadership over what she described as its silence on the allegations against Akoijam. She called on Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to speak out on the issue, arguing that the party should stand with women.

The development comes amid a political dispute over the allegations against the Congress MP. The BJP delegation’s demand for an Ethics Committee inquiry seeks parliamentary scrutiny of the matter.

Any action by the Lok Sabha will depend on the Speaker’s consideration of the memorandum and the applicable parliamentary procedures.