New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday asked why the Congress had not dismissed its MP from Manipur, Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, from the party after Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) dismissed him with immediate effect following an inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment.
Speaking to IANS, BJP leader Harsh Malhotra said Akoijam, a JNU professor and Congress MP, had brought disrepute to the teaching fraternity.
"Teachers and professors are not only supposed to impart education, but they are also required to teach morality and adhere to it themselves. Thirteen female students from JNU have levelled sexual harassment allegations against him, which a committee at the university investigated and found him guilty of, resulting in his dismissal from JNU," Malhotra added.
He asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the party's response to the matter, alleging that Akoijam was close to him.
"I want to ask Rahul Gandhi through you, since Akoijam is considered very close to Rahul Gandhi and is his close aide then why hasn't he been dismissed from the Congress party yet? How long will Rahul Gandhi's double standards continue? Whenever someone from their own side is corrupt or guilty of misconduct, they maintain complete silence," Malhotra said.
He added that women in Delhi wanted to know when Rahul Gandhi would take action against the MP and urged the Congress leader to address the issue personally.
Malhotra also criticised Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge over his remarks on the detention of protesters, citing incidents of police action during protests under previous Congress governments.
"If arrangements are made to stop aggressive protesters, they call it fear. I want to ask him: they (Congress) opened fire in the name of law and order!" Malhotra said, referring to the 1966 protest against cow slaughter outside Parliament.
He also cited the 1988 farmers' protest on Janpath and protests related to the Ram temple movement in 1990 and 1993, alleging that authorities had used force, including cane-charges and tear gas, to control demonstrators.
Malhotra questioned the Congress over its protest at Jantar Mantar and demanded that its leaders explain why they were seeking the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.
Earlier on Saturday, Kharge criticised the Union government in a post on social media platform X, alleging that young people, students, lawyers, journalists, social activists, farmers' union leaders, YouTubers and content creators questioning the government were being detained.
"Modi Govt has turned the 'Mother of Democracy' into a 'Muzzled Democracy'! The cowardice of the BJP-RSS is on full display today," the Congress President said.
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This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.
