New Delhi, Oct. 13: Allegations that a university professor sought sexual favours from students in exchange for marks have reached the highest constitutional office, with BJP women parliamentarians scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday to seek action against Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam.
The delegation is expected to press for action against Akoijam, a former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor who was dismissed from the university, and argue that the allegations warrant his removal from Parliament. The BJP leaders also plan to raise what they describe as the Congress leadership’s silence over the controversy, despite findings reportedly contained in the university’s inquiry report.
BJP MP Rekha Sharma said the delegation would ask the President to seek action against Akoijam. She cited the university’s complaints committee, which she said had found him guilty of sexually harassing 11 female students, and argued that he should not continue as a Member of Parliament.
BJP MP Phangnon Konyak called for serious consideration of the allegations, highlighting that young women and students had come forward with claims of assault. She said the matter required the President’s intervention.
BJP MLA Shikha Roy also criticised the alleged demand for sexual favours in exchange for academic marks. Referring to allegations involving minor girls, Roy called for Akoijam to face prosecution under stringent provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The demands for action come amid a political dispute over the handling of the case. BJP women leaders have argued that the allegations and the university’s reported findings require accountability from both Akoijam and the Congress leadership. The delegation is expected to present these concerns during its meeting with the President.
The controversy intensified on Monday, a day before the planned meeting, when the BJP Mahila Morcha staged a protest outside the Congress headquarters in New Delhi. Demonstrators raised slogans accusing the Congress of attempting to shield the MP.
The planned representation to the President marks the latest step in the BJP’s campaign over the allegations. The delegation intends to seek action against Akoijam in his capacity as a parliamentarian, while some BJP leaders have also called for criminal proceedings under the POCSO Act where allegations involve minors.
The allegations, the university inquiry and the political demands for action remain central to the dispute. The BJP delegation’s meeting is expected to focus on the reported findings concerning the 11 female students and the response of the Congress leadership.
