New Delhi: The union minister for women and child development Maneka Gandhi, on Tuesday, called for an investigation against a junior foreign minister and former editor MJ Akbar, who has been accused of sexual harassment in the snowballing #MeToo movement in India.
Leaders of ruling parties had maintained a stoic silence, except Maneka Gandhi. Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj did not respond when she was asked about the allegations against Mr Akbar. Neither did BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra. He declined to respond to the issue.
It must be noted that some women journalists who recounted their experiences of sexual harassment in the entertainment and media industry have accused Mr Akbar of sexually harassing them during his stint as an editor.
Congress leader and former Union minister Jaipal Reddy said Akbar should either come out with a satisfactory explanation or he must resign from his post in the government. He demanded an enquiry into these allegations.
M J Akbar who has been the editor of well-known newspapers like The Telegraph, Asian Age and The Sunday Guardian, is presently Rajya Sabha member of BJP. Until now, six women have come forward with their accounts detailing allegedly improper conduct by Akbar. Former HT Mint Lounge editor Priya Ramani was the first to name M J Akbar on social media platform Twitter on Monday.