The BJP is expecting a statement of explanation from Union Minister MJ Akbar on Sunday on alleged harassment charges levelled against him by several women journalists before taking a call on his continuation in the Council of Ministers. As many as nine journalists have accused Akbar of “sexual” exploitation when he served as editor of English dailies. Akbar is returning to Delhi from an official tour of African nations on Sunday.
In the midst of growing demand that Akbar should be asked to resign from the Council of Ministers and the RSS as well as his ministerial colleagues Maneka Gandhi and Smiriti Irani virtually backing the women journalists, Akbar’s statement could decide which way the whole episode will settle down.
While Akbar’s fate will be decided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah has already said that the party would also definitely look into the issue.
“We will definitely look into the issue. We have to see whether these allegations are true or false. We have to check the veracity of the post and the person who posted it,” he was reported as saying.
Earlier, Minister for Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi on Monday said she is happy that #MeToo movement has started in India. She said “anger at sexual molestation never goes away” and the individual “never forgets the person who did it”.
“It is because of this reason, we have written to the Law Ministry, saying that the complaints should be without any time limit,” she added.
Problem for Akbar further compounded on Saturday when a US-based woman journalist accused him of sexual harassment. Majlie de Puy Kamp of CNN has alleged that Akbar had sexually harassed her in 2007 when she was an 18-year-old intern.
According to reports, Akbar grabbed her and kissed her when she went to thank him on the last date of her internship with the newspaper edited by him. Sharing the incident on Twitter, Kamp wrote: “I extended my hand to him in gratitude, he shoved his 55-year-old tongue down my 18-year-old throat.”