New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS): The Delhi BJP Mahila Morcha staged a protest on Saturday to demand the expulsion from Congress and the arrest of MP and JNU Professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam accused of sexual harassment of female students.
A large number of Mahila Morcha workers gathered near the Laxmi Nagar Metro Station in East Delhi, and raised slogans against the MP.
As soon as they began marching towards the Congress headquarters on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, the Delhi Police detained them after they had walked only a short distance and took them to Shakarpur Police Station, a Delhi BJP leader said.
The protest was led by BJP Mahila Morcha National Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Sangeeta Yadav and Delhi BJP General Secretary Yogita Singh, in the presence of State Vice President Sarika Jain, Mahila Morcha President Archana Gupta and In-charge Aarti Mehra.
Rajya Sabha MP Sangeeta Yadav said, "We are standing here to defend the dignity of daughters. At a prestigious educational institution like JNU, a person accused of sexually harassing female students under the guise of being a professor, and who is also a Congress MP continues to move around freely."
"The Congress is the most glaring example of an 'anti-women' mindset. A party that cannot protect its daughters has no right to remain in power," she added.
"We (BJP) demand his (Akoijam's) immediate expulsion from the party (Congress) and immediate arrest. The BJP Mahila Morcha will not remain silent. The slogan of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' will be meaningful only when those responsible are punished. Ensuring the safety of every daughter in Delhi is our responsibility," she said.
Delhi BJP General Secretary Yogita Singh said that the Congress has always treated women merely as a vote bank.
"A sitting MP is accused of sexually harassing female students at JNU, and the Congress is shielding him. The party should be ashamed," she added.
"How long will the dignity of our daughters continue to be violated? How long will the Congress protect its leaders accused of wrongdoing?" Yogita Singh asked.
"If Angomcha Bimol Akoijam is not arrested today, no other daughter will be safe tomorrow. Our struggle will continue from the streets to Parliament. We demand justice, not compromise," she said.
BJP Mahila Morcha General Secretary Archana Gupta said, "A Congress MP has been accused of harassing female students at JNU. This exposes the Congress party's double standards — speaking about women's empowerment on public platforms while allowing the exploitation of women within its ranks."
"We demand that the accused be expelled from the party and sent to jail. The BJP Mahila Morcha stands with every daughter. Break the silence and deliver justice," she added.
Richa Pandey, Delhi BJP Vice-President, said the Congress is 'anti-women'.
"The party is shielding MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, who is accused of exploiting JNU's female students. This is an insult to our daughters," she added.
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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.
