Manipur Congress chief says allegations against MP Bimol Akoijam are 'beyond expectation', truth will prevail

Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Okram Ibobi Singh on Saturday, October 10 questioned the allegations against Congress MP Bimol Akoijam following a report by Jawaharlal Nehru University’s (JNU) Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), describing the development as unexpected and alleging that the issue was being politicised amid the prolonged crisis in Manipur.

Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhavan, Ibobi Singh said Akoijam had served as a professor at JNU for more than three decades and claimed that he had not previously heard similar allegations against the parliamentarian. He said the allegations had come as a surprise but maintained that the law should take its course if the charges were established.

“We are all law-abiding citizens. If the allegations against Bimol are true, the law will take its own course,” Ibobi Singh said.

The Congress leader also alleged that the controversy was being used to divert attention from the continuing violence and instability in Manipur, which has been affected by ethnic conflict for more than three years.

Referring to the latest incidents in Kamjong district, Ibobi Singh said reports of killings, firing and arson had added to concerns over the security situation. He alleged that the focus on the allegations against Akoijam risked diverting attention from the prevailing situation in the state.

The remarks came amid reports of fresh violence in and around Chassad in Kamjong district. According to the information available, armed miscreants were involved in firing incidents, while several people were reported killed in separate incidents.

Three Kuki individuals and one Tangkhul civilian were reported killed in separate incidents during the violence. Reports also indicated that several houses and shops had been burnt. However, official confirmation of the identities of all the deceased and the full extent of the damage was awaited.

The allegations against Akoijam relate to a sexual harassment complaint examined by JNU’s Internal Complaints Committee. The university's reported action following the committee's findings has triggered a political response from the Manipur Congress.

Ibobi Singh said the allegations were difficult to believe in view of Akoijam's long academic career, adding that the truth would eventually emerge. His remarks reflected the Congress leadership's position on the matter, while the allegations remain subject to the applicable institutional and legal processes.