‘When will you break your silence?’ BJP Mahila Morcha seeks expulsion of Manipur MP Bimol Akoijam

The BJP Mahila Morcha staged a protest outside the Congress headquarters on October 12, demanding the expulsion of Inner Manipur MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam from the opposition party following his dismissal from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) over sexual harassment allegations.

Union Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi joined the demonstration, organised under the banner of the ‘Nari Shakti Hunkar Andolan’, and questioned Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s commitment to women’s rights.

Referring to Vadra’s slogan, ‘Ladki Hoon, Lad Sakti Hoon’, Devi asked whether it had become an empty promise, accusing the Congress of remaining silent despite allegations against one of its MPs.

The minister alleged that 11 female students had accused Akoijam of sexual harassment and questioned why the Congress had not taken disciplinary action against him following his dismissal from JNU.

“When will you break your silence, Rahul Gandhi? When will you expel that MP? What action have you taken against him?” Devi asked, alleging that the party’s response reflected a lack of concern for women.

She also said the complainants were seeking justice and challenged Vadra to explain what steps the Congress would take to address their allegations.

Devi accused the opposition party of double standards on women’s issues and called on its leadership to respond to the questions raised by the protesters.

Asked about the Congress’s protest against the chief election commissioner, the minister alleged that the party was attempting to divert attention from the accusations against its MP. She said the Congress should prioritise justice for the complainants.

Akoijam, who served as a professor at the Centre for the Study of Social Systems under JNU’s School of Social Sciences, was dismissed with immediate effect on October 9 following an inquiry into the allegations. He has denied the charges.

According to reports, at least 11 female students filed complaints against him in May, alleging that he invited them to his campus residence under the pretext of meetings or gatherings and attempted to sexually harass them. Some students also accused him of making obscene and inappropriate remarks in class.

An FIR was registered against Akoijam on Sunday on charges of sexual harassment and insulting a woman’s modesty, based on a complaint lodged by JNU’s chief security officer.