The Congress party has formed its Pradesh Election and Campaign Committees for Manipur, appointing Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, which has sparked backlash from the BJP.
The Congress on Wednesday constituted its Pradesh Election Committee and Campaign Committee for Manipur ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, appointing Inner Manipur MP and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam to the election panel.
The appointment drew sharp criticism from the BJP, with Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor accusing the Congress of being “anti-women” for including Akoijam in both the Manipur State Election Campaign Committee and the Manifesto Committee. In a statement issued on November 11, Kapoor said the decision, announced on the occasion of Bhai Dooj, had exposed the party’s stance towards women.
“By including Jawaharlal Nehru University Professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, who is accused of sexually harrasing 11 female students, in both the Manipur State Election Campaign Committee and Manifesto Committee on a sacred occasion like Bhai Dooj, the Sonia-Rahul-led Congress has demonstrated that it is an anti-women party,” the statement read.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari also hit out at the Congress for being an “anti women party”.
Allegations against Angomcha Bimol Akoijam
Akoijam has faced allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation involving 11 female students. Kapoor said that although the Congress MP had received some relief from the court, he had not been acquitted and the allegations against him remained pending.
The remarks come days after the Delhi High Court stayed the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration’s decision to terminate Akoijam’s services over allegations of sexual harassment.