Why has this storm risen a few months before a general election? Is there an agenda?
INDIA’S JUNIOR FOREIGN MINISTER M.J. AKBAR SAYS SEXUAL HARASSMENT ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HIM ARE BASELESS AND VOWS TO PURSUE LEGAL ACTION
India’s Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar called the multiple allegations of sexual assault against him “wild and baseless” yesterday, and said he plans to take legal action against the women who have made the accusations.
At least 10 women have gone public in the past week with accounts of having faced inappropriate behaviour and sexual harassment from Akbar, a seasoned journalist and editor. Akbar, who founded several newspapers and magazines in India, is accused of a range of inappropriate behaviour by female journalists who previously worked as his subordinates.
“The allegations of misconduct made against me are false and fabricated, spiced up by innuendo and malice,” said Akbar in a one-page statement. “Accusation without evidence has become a viral fever among some sections. Whatever be the case, now that I have returned [from abroad], my lawyers will look into these wild and baseless allegations in order to decide our future course of legal action,” said the 67-year-old minister.
It is for the Prime Minister to speak on this issue, let the country judge its PM by his actions. So far his silence is conspicuous. His silence is unacceptable... [He] should make his views known on the issue. Anand Sharma | Congress party spokesman
Ten women have complained. Are all of them lying? The case should at least be investigated... At the same time, it is crucial for women to be true. I would really urge women to tell the truth. Swati Maliwal | Delhi Commission for Women chief
It’s difficult to comment on something that comes on a website. One can put anything on a website. So, this needs to be checked... If that is true or false, whether such an incident happened or not. Amit Shah | BJP president
No word on resignation
He was on an official trip in Nigeria last week when the allegations first surfaced as part of the #MeToo campaign sweeping India. But there was no word from the Narendra Modi government or the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as to whether he would continue in the government amid shrill demands by the Congress-party led opposition and on social media for his resignation.
“If I didn’t do anything, where and what is the story? There’s no story. But a sea of innuendo, speculation and abusive diatribe has been built around something that never happened. Some are total, unsubstantiated hearsay; others confirm, on the record, that I didn’t do anything,” Akbar said.
The #MeToo movement that began in the US in response to accusations of sexual harassment and abuse by powerful men in media and entertainment, has spread to India in the last few weeks after a Bollywood actress accused a colleague of inappropriate behaviour on the sets of a film they were shooting in 2008. Since then, over a dozen men in the worlds of media, entertainment and the arts have been accused of offences ranging from sexual harassment to rape.
Akbar in his statement said he plans to fight the allegations and questioned whether the allegations were politically motivated. “Why has this storm risen a few months before a general election? Is there an agenda? You be the judge,” he said.
Earlier, BJP president Amit Shah said that he was not in a position to comment on Akbar. “It’s difficult to comment on something that comes on a website. One can put anything on a website. So, this needs to be checked. If that is true or false, whether such an incident happened or not,” Shah said. “It will have to be seen if it is the same person who is levelling allegations or someone else has put it up [on social media]. All these things will have to be seen. And once we do it, we will certainly think over [the action against Akbar],” he added.