Breaking his silence on allegations of sexual harassment against Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar, BJP president Amit Shah promised to look into the charges against the veteran journalist. "We have to see if charges on Akbar are true," Shah said, adding, "We have to check the veracity of the post and the person who posted it. You can also post something using my name."
This is the first time the top leadership of BJP is reacting to allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment against the acclaimed journalist and the junior minister in the Modi government. Akbar is at the heart of a raging controversy over numerous allegations of sexual harassment, including by his former colleagues.
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Earlier, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi, though without naming Akbar, had urged the Centre to launch an investigation into the matter. "There should be an investigation. Men in position of power often do this. This applies to media, politics and seniors working in companies," she said. On Friday, she proposed to set up a panel to probe the allegations against those accused in the recent #MeToo campaign.
Barring Maneka Gandhi, none of the BJP leaders had come commented on the charges against their party colleague, including Sushma Swaraj, who heads the External Affairs ministry. On the other hand, Akbar's party colleague and UP Tourism Minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi extending support saying the issue of his resignation should be raised only after a thorough probe.
The Congress has demanded Akbar's resignation. “M.J. Akbar should either offer a satisfactory explanation or resign forthwith,” said senior Congress leader S. Jaipal Reddy on Wednesday.
On his part, Akbar, who is on a diplomatic tour in Africa, is expected to return on Sunday. Reportedly, he headed to Malabo in Equatorial Guinea as per his schedule and is expected back in India only by the weekend.