The Congress on Wednesday named Inner Manipur MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam to its Pradesh Election Committee and Campaign Committee for Manipur, igniting a fierce political firestorm over unresolved sexual harassment allegations against the lawmaker.
Akoijam, a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University's School of Social Sciences, faces accusations of sexual harassment and exploitation involving 11 female students. The Bharatiya Janata Party pounced immediately.
"By including Jawaharlal Nehru University Professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, who is accused of sexually harassing 11 female students, in both the Manipur State Election Campaign Committee and Manifesto Committee on a sacred occasion like Bhai Dooj, the Sonia-Rahul-led Congress has demonstrated that it is an anti-women party," Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor stated.
BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari echoed the attack, branding the Congress leadership hostile to women's safety.
The appointment lands squarely in the middle of a protracted campus and legal conflict.
Kapoor noted that while the parliamentarian secured interim judicial relief against his dismissal from JNU, the courts have not acquitted him. The underlying charges remain active. Women BJP MPs have separately petitioned the Lok Sabha Speaker to demand disciplinary action against Akoijam, while student groups including the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad staged demonstrations on the JNU campus seeking accountability under the banner of "Sex For Marks" complaints.
Akoijam has denied all wrongdoing. He has characterized the university administration's proceedings as an orchestrated "witch hunt" and asserted that disciplinary authorities trampled due process during the inquiry.
The political confrontation follows swift legal sparring in the national capital. JNU authorities formally terminated Akoijam's professorship in October after internal disciplinary proceedings concluded. Akoijam challenged the termination in court.
Justice Anup J Bhambhani of the Delhi High Court granted interim relief by staying JNU’s termination order and issuing notice to the university administration.
| Case Parameter | Legal & Institutional Status |
|---|---|
| Accused Lawmaker | Angomcha Bimol Akoijam (MP, Inner Manipur) |
| Institutional Role | Professor, JNU School of Social Sciences |
| Allegation Scope | Complaints filed by 11 female students |
| University Action | Termination order issued in October |
| Judicial Status | Termination stayed by Delhi High Court |
| Next Court Milestone | High Court hearing scheduled for January |
The Delhi High Court will take up Akoijam's petition against JNU's dismissal order when proceedings resume in January.