BJP MPs led by Bansuri Swaraj met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, demanding action against Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, who was dismissed from JNU over sexual harassment allegations involving 11 students. The BJP slammed Congress for its silence.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Bansuri Swaraj on Thursday accused Congress leadership of remaining silent over sexual harassment allegations against Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, saying her party’s delegation had approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking action in the matter.
The BJP women MPs’ delegation met the Lok Sabha Speaker and submitted a memorandum seeking action against Akoijam, a Congress MP from Inner Manipur, following allegations of sexual harassment involving 11 female students at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
BJP leaders slam Congress’ inaction
Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Bansuri Swaraj said, “It is highly unfortunate that the Congress party consistently sides with those who exploit women. When Bimal Akoijam–a sitting MP from the Congress party–sexually harassed 11 female students, JNU’s internal committee found that the complaints filed by these students against him were truthful and substantiated by facts.”
She further said that Akoijam was dismissed from his position at JNU on October 9, 2026, following the internal committee’s findings, and questioned the silence of senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi. “Yet, there is an absolutely deafening silence from Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Kharge ji, and Sonia Gandhi,” Swaraj said.
BJP Mahila Morcha National President and MP Roop Kumari Chaudhary described the incident as “shameful” and said the party would continue to raise the issue until the students received justice and protection. Chaudhary said the party was concerned about the safety of the complainants, who continue to study at the university, and called on the Congress to suspend or expel Akoijam.
“The incident that took place at JNU was truly shameful. JNU Professor Dr. Bimol Akoijam—who is also a Congress MP from Manipur—subjected 11 young women to mistreatment, sexual harassment, and abuse. Why haven’t Congress leaders like Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi come forward to stand up for these young women? Rahul Gandhi has not uttered a single word in support of these daughters. Instead, he has provided protection to Bimol Akoijam,” she said.
BJP Mahila Morcha National Vice President Daggubati Purandeswari also criticised Congress leadership, alleging that the party had failed to take action against Akoijam despite the university’s internal inquiry. Purandeswari said the university’s Vice-Chancellor had constituted an internal committee after complaints emerged, and the committee found Akoijam guilty of molesting 11 female students. She also referred to an interview in which Akoijam had reportedly spoken about the number of complaints against him, saying she was surprised that he had spoken about the complaints in that manner.
Purandeswari praised the students for coming forward with their complaints, saying it required courage to speak out against a professor while studying at the same institution. Questioning Congress leaders’ public positions on women’s rights, she said, “On one hand we have Congress party leaders like Rahul Gandhi who says ‘Smash the Patriarchy’, and on the other hand we have Priyanka Gandhi ji who says ‘Main ladki hoon, main lad sakti hoon’ (I am a girl, I can fight). Today, we would like to question Priyanka Gandhi ji.”
She alleged that the Congress leadership’s silence amounted to protecting Akoijam and called on the party to explain why it had not suspended or expelled him. Purandeswari also referred to allegations of misconduct against AAP MP Sanjay Singh during a recent protest involving BJP women workers, demanding an explanation from the opposition.
BJP’s multi-pronged approach for justice
“Today, under the guidance and leadership of our Mahila Morcha National President and fellow MP, Rupkumari Choudhary, we met with the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Om Birla. We appealed to the President, Droupadi Murmu. Yesterday, a delegation met with the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW), Vijaya Rahatkar, and today, we submitted a memorandum to Om Birla. We had a very productive discussion,” she added.
“The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Mahila Morcha has taken to the streets in protest—to ensure that these daughters receive justice, their dignity is upheld, and they are provided with the protection they deserve. On the 12th October, we held a protest in Delhi. We also organized protests across the entire state on the 10th October, demanding that the Congress party take action against him. On 13th October, a delegation met with the President of India to ensure the protection of these young girls. On 14th October, we met with the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women, and today, a delegation of Members of Parliament met with the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. We argued that an individual facing such allegations has no right to sit in the House,” she added.
A BJP women MPs’ delegation, including Purandeswari, Swaraj and Chaudhary, met Speaker Birla and submitted a letter seeking action against Akoijam. The letter said the issue concerned “respect for women, safety of girl students, moral accountability in public life and conduct of political parties.”
Details from the memorandum
According to the letter, “11 female students had filed sexual harassment complaints against Akoijam, who was a professor at JNU before becoming a Congress MP from Manipur. The university’s Internal Committee conducted an inquiry and found the allegations against him to be substantiated, following which the administration issued an order on October 9, 2026, dismissing him from service with immediate effect.”
The delegation also attached copies of the FIR and other documents.
On Wednesday, Chaudhary said NCW chairperson Vijaya K Rahatkar assured the delegation she would look into the matter. “We’ve been assured that she will definitely look into the matter given the situation,” she said. “Once the investigation found him guilty, he was fired, but under Congress’s protection, Congress leaders haven’t said a single word about him yet,” she alleged.
Earlier, a delegation of BJP women leaders, including Lok Sabha MPs Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Bansuri Swaraj and Malvika Devi, Rajya Sabha MPs S. Phangnon Konyak and Geeta Shakya, and senior leader Rekha Sharma, met President Droupadi Murmu and submitted a memorandum seeking strict action. (ANI)
Background of the case: JNU dismissal and FIR
JNU dismissed Akoijam with immediate effect on October 9 after its Internal Committee recommended major punishment following an inquiry under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act.
Akoijam had earlier accused the administration of failing to provide him a copy of the inquiry report, needed to exercise his right to appeal, and alleged a violation of confidentiality under Section 16 of the POSH Act.
Separately, Delhi Police registered an FIR on October 11 at Vasant Kunj North police station on a complaint by JNU’s Chief Security Officer, under Sections 75, 75(1)(i), 75(1)(iv) and 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The matter is under investigation.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)