Union Minister M.J. Akbar has reportedly tendered his resignation by e-mail, putting an end to the speculation surrounding the future of the veteran journalist who was accused of sexual harassment in #MeToo movement that rocked India. Akbar, who was was on a diplomatic tour in Africa, had returned to India on Sunday. When he reached New Delhi, he was greeted with a volley of questions from reporters at the airport. "There will be a statement later," the minister of state for external affairs had said, sparking off rumours of his impending resignation.
When it came to the allegations against the former journalist, the saffron party stood divided. Among the political circles, strict action is expected against Akbar; Dattatreya Hosabale, the number third in the RSS food chain, tweeted in support of #MeToo.
BJP president Amit Shah promised to look into the charges. "We have to see if charges on Akbar are true," Shah said, adding, "We have to check the veracity of the post and the person who posted it. You can also post something using my name." Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi, without naming Akbar, had urged the Centre to launch an investigation into the matter. "There should be an investigation. Men in position of power often do this. This applies to media, politics and seniors working in companies," she said. However, Uttar Pradesh Tourism Minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi had extended support to Akbar saying the issue of his resignation should be raised only after a thorough probe.
The first direct allegation against Akbar was made by journalist Priya Ramani, who tweeted on Monday evening about an article she wrote on the MeToo movement for Vogue in October 2017. On Monday, Ramani revealed that the article was about Akbar, tweeting, “I began this piece with my MJ Akbar story. Never named him because he didn’t “do” anything. Lots of women have worse stories about this predator—maybe they’ll share.” The article describes how an unnamed editor tried to misbehave with Ramani during a job interview in his room at the Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai when she was just 23 and he was 43.
In the article, Ramani claims the editor wanted her to sit close to him in the hotel room; she also accuses him of sending obscene messages to women staff. Shuma Raha, another journalist, replied to Ramani on Twitter that she had an unpleasant experience with Akbar during an interview at his room at the Taj Bengal in Kolkata in 1995. Raha claimed Akbar invited her for drinks after the interview. On Monday, Prerna Singh Bindra, a journalist-turned-wildlife conservationist, tweeted about a “brilliant,flamboyant #editor who dabbled in politics,” who called “me-my 1st job- to his hotel room to 'discuss work', after i put the edition to bed-read midnight, & made life at work hell when i refused”.
-Inputs from PTI
