Opinion | Bimol Akoijam Case, And Congress's Convenient Amnesia For Sexual Harassment

Updated: Oct 21, 2026 16:43 pm IST Published On Oct 21, 2026 16:41 pm IST Last Updated On Oct 21, 2026 16:43 pm IST

Published On Oct 21, 2026 16:41 pm IST

Last Updated On Oct 21, 2026 16:43 pm IST

Bimol Akoijam, Congress Member of Parliament from Manipur, was dismissed from his academic position at Jawaharlal Nehru University on October 9 after an internal probe found him guilty of sexual harassment charges brought by at least 11 women students. Akoijam termed the allegations a political witch hunt, refused to step down as MP, and vowed to clear his name through the legal process.

His reaction has been on expected lines. After all, a person accused of sexual misconduct will rarely, if ever, not deny the charges. And if that person happens to be in politics, he will almost certainly claim that the accusations are merely a malicious conspiracy to taint him and destroy his credibility as a public servant.

Unfortunately, the Congress's response to the charges against Akoijam is also exactly that which one might expect from the playbook of a cynical political body - quick to demand resignations in case of allegations of sexual harassment against its opponents, and equally quick to resort to diversionary arguments when similar accusations are levelled against one of its own.

"If he is guilty, hang him," said Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury in a television interview, making it clear that the party did not give much credence to the sexual harassment charges against Akoijam, or indeed, the findings of JNU's internal committee, and was happy to let him continue as MP until and unless a court of law pronounced a definitive verdict of guilt on him.

The Congress party's stand in........

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