In the wake of several allegations of sexual harassment dating to his career as a newspaper editor and a day ahead of the first court hearing in a defamation case filed by him, M J Akbar resigned as junior minister for external affairs and said he would fight the “false accusations” in his personal capacity. “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,” Akbar said in a statement in which he also thanked PM Narendra Modi and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj for his stint in government.
Akbar’s resignation came after he issued a statement denying allegations by women journalists who had worked with him. He had said some allegations were untrue while other accounts did not refer to any offence. He subsequently filed a defamation suit against Priya Ramani, a senior journalist who accused him of inappropriate behaviour. 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.
BJP avoids any comment on Akbar
Akbar resigned amid a growing view in BJP that apart from the legal aspects of the allegations, the broader perception over the controversy was damaging. It was felt that his continuance would not go down well with BJP’s support base, which tends to be conservative on social issues and is likely to take a dim view of the allegations of misbehaviour. He will, however, continue to be a member of BJP and pursue his legal options.
The resignation was accepted by President Ram Nath Kovind on the advice of the PM. Sources said national security advisor Ajit Doval spoke to Akbar, which may have helped him make up his mind. His decision to step down was viewed with relief in BJP circles even though functionaries felt the jury was still out on the veracity of the charges levelled against Akbar.
The possibility of the controversy continuing to gain traction as it moved to court and a declaration by 20 women that they were willing to testify against Akbar raised the cost of his continuation as a minister. BJP has avoided any comment, primarily because of the dilemma it faced - on the one hand, taking action on the basis of allegations going back to the 1990s, made on social media; and on the other hand, the need for political signalling.
The defamation case filed by Akbar and the response to it by his former women colleagues may have helped the government come to a determination by pushing the matter into the legal arena.
