Imphal, Oct 15 (IANS) Manipur BJP MLA Tongbram Robindro Singh on Thursday urged Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam to seek legal recourse at the earliest if he considers himself innocent, and prove the allegations of sexual harassment against him false.
Akoijam, a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), has been dismissed from service following an inquiry into sexual harassment allegations against him.
Addressing a Seva Sankalp Abhiyan programme in Imphal West district, Singh said courts of law were the appropriate forums to establish the truth and urged the MP to challenge the allegations through legal means.
He said the allegations involving women and girls, levelled against the MP by people from outside Manipur, had deeply hurt the sentiments of the people of the state.
Singh said the shame brought upon Manipur needed to be addressed by establishing Akoijam’s innocence in a court of law.
Earlier, Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh had demanded Akoijam’s resignation from the Lok Sabha in view of the allegations.
In posts on Facebook and X, the Chief Minister described JNU’s decision to dismiss the Congress MP as “deeply disturbing and shameful”.
“Such grave misconduct by a holder of high legislative office and a professor is unacceptable and tarnishes the image of Manipur. As an MP represents the voice of the people, the sanctity of Parliament must be upheld,” Khemchand Singh had said.
He added that Akoijam had, on moral grounds, lost the authority to continue as a public representative and should resign from the Lok Sabha immediately, respecting the sentiments of the people.
JNU Vice-Chancellor Santishree D. Pandit, in an order dated October 9, stated that the university’s Internal Committee had conducted an inquiry into the sexual harassment allegations against Akoijam.
According to the order, the university, acting on the committee’s findings and after following due process, had imposed the punishment of dismissal from service with immediate effect under the applicable service rules.
–IANS
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