Manipur MP Bimol Akoijam calls JNU action a ‘witch hunt’, says ‘let them come without any mask’

Congress Lok Sabha MP Bimol Akoijam on October 9 described the developments surrounding Jawaharlal Nehru University’s (JNU) action over sexual harassment allegations as a “blessing in disguise”, alleging that the proceedings were part of a “witch hunt” intended to silence his voice.

Questioning whether due process had been followed, the Manipur MP said he had not received any report or document containing the recommendations of the committee that examined the allegations.

“If it is true, then there is nothing to worry about. In fact, I consider it a blessing in disguise because it will help expose what I believe is a witch hunt,” Akoijam said.

Invoking the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, commonly known as the POSH Act, he said the matter must be dealt with in accordance with the applicable legal provisions and university rules.

Akoijam maintained that if the inquiry committee had submitted its recommendations, he should be formally informed and given an opportunity to raise objections under the prescribed procedure.

“I have not received any such report or document. If anyone claims that I have, let them show it to me. Let the facts come out, and then the country will understand how this alleged witch hunt has been going on,” he said.

The MP expressed confidence that the controversy would not undermine his position, saying he was not embarrassed by the allegations. He said he had taught sexuality and gender issues for decades and believed the facts would emerge in the coming days.

Asked whether he suspected a conspiracy by the BJP, Akoijam stopped short of directly confirming the allegation but suggested that people in positions of power might have instructed others to silence him.

“I am a law-abiding citizen, and I am trying to follow the law. People have gone overboard with their excitement because some people at the top may have instructed them to silence my voice,” he said.

Akoijam asserted that he would emerge stronger from the controversy, stressing that he represented the people of Manipur, who had elected him to Parliament.

“I will come out much stronger. Watch what happens in the coming days, and you will see how these people are brought to their knees, including those in Manipur,” he said.

He also said he did not want the controversy to create bitterness towards what he described as the “mainstream”, citing his more than three decades of service as a faculty member at various institutions.

Alleging that some people appeared to believe rules did not apply to them because he came from Manipur, Akoijam said the developments had provided an opportunity to bring the matter into the open.

“Thank God they have come out with this kind of thing. Now, let them come out without any mask. I will wait and see how things unfold,” he added.

The developments relate to sexual harassment allegations involving 11 students at JNU. The allegations, the university’s proceedings and Akoijam’s objections to the process are separate matters. The precise grounds and procedural status of the university’s action could not be independently established from the information available.