Editor-turned-politician MJ Akbar has resigned as the Minister of State for External Affairs amid a spate of sexual harassment allegations over the last fortnight by women who worked with him during his days as the editor of several publications.
“Since I have decided to seek justice in a court of law in my personal capacity, I deem it appropriate to step down from office and challenge false accusations levied against me, also in a personal capacity. I have, therefore, tendered my resignation from the office of Minister of State for External Affairs. I am deeply grateful to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and to the external Affair Minister Smt Sushma Swaraj for the opportunity they gave me to serve my country,” he said in a statement.
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Akbar, 67, has been named in more than a dozen narrations of alleged sexual misconduct and sexual harassment. These have surfaced on the social media, primarily on Twitter, under the aegis of the #MeToo movement, which started in India after former actor Tanushree Dutta accused her co-star Nana Patekar of harassment during a film shoot 10 years ago.
The defiant minister who was travelling abroad on work when the allegations began, ignored calls for his resignation when he returned to the country on Sunday. Instead he filed a criminal defamation complaint against Priya Ramani, the first woman to call out the former editor-in-chief of The Asian Age. The case is due for hearing in Delhi’s Patiala House on Thursday morning. After the resignation Ramani said:
As women we feel vindicated by MJ Akbar’s resignation.
I look forward to the day when I will also get justice in court #metoo— Priya Ramani (@priyaramani) October 17, 2018
Ramani’s revelation opened a Pandora’s box with atleast 11 more women narrating their eerily similar stories, accusing Akbar of sexual harassment. In addition, three women came out with their accusations after Akbar filed the case against Ramani.
The others who have accused Akbar include Ghazala Wahab, Suparna Sharma, Sutapa Shuma Raha, Kanika Gahlaut, Tushita Patel, Prerna Bindra and Kadambari wade
ALSO READ: #MeToo: Refuting allegations, MJ Akbar, sues the first journalist to name him
On Wednesday 72 former civil servants wrote to President Kovind expressing their ‘deep disappointment and outrage at the conspicuous lack of action by the Government of India in responding to the statements by twenty women regarding the sexual harassment faced by them from a person who is today a member of the Union Council of Ministers.”
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