Manipur BJP youth wing protests, demands MP Bimol Akoijam’s resignation

The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), Manipur unit, on October 16 staged a protest rally in Imphal demanding the resignation of Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam over sexual harassment allegations levelled against him by some students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

The protesters demanded justice for the students who raised the allegations and called for accountability, saying the issue had brought embarrassment to Manipur.

The rally began at the BJP headquarters at Nityapat Chuthek and proceeded towards Congress Bhavan, where a large contingent of security personnel was deployed to maintain law and order.

Carrying placards with messages such as “Give justice to daughter/student”, “We demand justice”, “We want peace”, “We demand truth” and “Save the dignity of Manipur”, the protesters raised slogans condemning the allegations against Akoijam and demanding his resignation.

Outside Congress Bhavan, BJYM members shouted slogans seeking justice, while members of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), standing behind barricades at the office gate, countered them with slogans of “Shame, shame BJP”.

Police prevented the protesters from entering the Congress Bhavan premises and controlled the situation.

A BJYM member questioned the silence of senior Congress leaders, including those in the All India Congress Committee, over the allegations, particularly in view of Rahul Gandhi’s stated commitment to fighting patriarchy.

He said allegations of sexual harassment against a professor from Manipur serving at a reputed university were a matter of concern for the state, adding that the youth wing wanted the truth to emerge and justice to be delivered.

Reacting to the protest, an MPCC executive member questioned why the BJP’s youth wing was demanding justice from the opposition when the BJP-led government has 55 MLAs in the state, while the Congress has only five.

He described the protest as unusual and said people were with Akoijam, adding that he believed justice would prevail and the Congress would ultimately raise slogans celebrating truth and victory.

The allegations against Akoijam remain subject to the ongoing legal and investigative process. Allegations should not be treated as established findings unless substantiated through due process.