[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar, facing allegations of sexual harassment by more than 10 women journalists, resigned from his post today (Wednesday, October 17).

On Monday, he had filed a case of criminal defamation against Priya Ramani, the first woman journalist to name him as a harasser in the #MeToo movement. The case is going to come up for hearing tomorrow in Patiala House court.

In a statement that was tweeted by news agency ANI, Akbar said that he was resigning since he had decided to seek justice in a court of law in a 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 levelled against me, also in a personal capacity. I have, therefore, tendered my resignation from the office of MoS for external affairs. I am deeply grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and to the external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj for the opportunity they gave me to serve my country,” Akbar said.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]JTIwJTNDYmxvY2txdW90ZSUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIydHdpdHRlci10d2VldCUyMiUyMGRhdGEtbGFuZyUzRCUyMmVuJTIyJTNFJTNDcCUyMGxhbmclM0QlMjJlbiUyMiUyMGRpciUzRCUyMmx0ciUyMiUzRSUzQ2ElMjBocmVmJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ0d2l0dGVyLmNvbSUyRmhhc2h0YWclMkZNSkFrYmFyJTNGc3JjJTNEaGFzaCUyNmFtcCUzQnJlZl9zcmMlM0R0d3NyYyUyNTVFdGZ3JTIyJTNFJTIzTUpBa2JhciUzQyUyRmElM0UlMjByZXNpZ25zJTIwZnJvbSUyMGhpcyUyMHBvc3QlMjBvZiUyME1pbmlzdGVyJTIwb2YlMjBTdGF0ZSUyMEV4dGVybmFsJTIwQWZmYWlycyUyME1FQS4lMjAlM0NhJTIwaHJlZiUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGdC5jbyUyRmR4ZjRFdEZsNVAlMjIlM0VwaWMudHdpdHRlci5jb20lMkZkeGY0RXRGbDVQJTNDJTJGYSUzRSUzQyUyRnAlM0UlMjZtZGFzaCUzQiUyMEFOSSUyMCUyOCU0MEFOSSUyOSUyMCUzQ2ElMjBocmVmJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ0d2l0dGVyLmNvbSUyRkFOSSUyRnN0YXR1cyUyRjEwNTI1MTg5NjY3NTE0MjQ1MTQlM0ZyZWZfc3JjJTNEdHdzcmMlMjU1RXRmdyUyMiUzRU9jdG9iZXIlMjAxNyUyQyUyMDIwMTglM0MlMkZhJTNFJTNDJTJGYmxvY2txdW90ZSUzRSUwQSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMGFzeW5jJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZwbGF0Zm9ybS50d2l0dGVyLmNvbSUyRndpZGdldHMuanMlMjIlMjBjaGFyc2V0JTNEJTIydXRmLTglMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZzY3JpcHQlM0UlMEE=[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]“I think it’s the right decision and it would be better if he withdraws his case,” Ghazala Wahab, one of the journalists who had accused MJ Akbar of sexual harassment, told CNN-News18.

Akbar was accused of sexual misconduct during his years as a journalist and newspaper editor. He has termed the allegations against him as “baseless” and “fabricated”.

He also alleged that it was a political conspiracy scripted ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Ramani was the first to name Akbar in a Twitter post October 8, following which over ten women also levelled sexual harassment allegations against him. In a statement issued on Sunday, Akbar had named four other women who had accused him but filed the criminal defamation complaint only against Ramani.

Akbar, in his complaint, said he was seeking appropriate punitive action.

“That the scandalous allegations levelled against the complainant, by their very tone and tenor, are ex facie defamatory and have not only damaged the goodwill and reputation of the complainant, in his social circles and on the political stage, established years of toil and hard work, but have also affected the personal reputation of the complainant in the community, friends, family and colleagues, thereby causing him irreparable loss and tremendous distress,” his complaint stated.

After the complaint was filed, as many as 20 journalists who have worked under him went on record to ask the court to “consider testimonies of sexual harassment of some of us at the hands of” Akbar and of others “who bore witness to this harassment.”

The BJP, which initially maintained a stoic silence on the issue, distanced itself from Akbar, claiming that the incidents date to a time when Akbar was not a member of the party. The party has also argued that seeking legal recourse to defend his name was a right that cannot be denied to Akbar. BJP president Amit Shah, however, said the party will look into the charges to ascertain their veracity.

Women and child development (WCD) minister Maneka Gandhi announced the setting up of a committee to examine all issues emanating from the ‘#Metoo’ movement, which captures stories of harassment recounted by women.

“I believe in the pain and trauma behind every single complaint. Cases of sexual harassment at work must be dealt with a policy of zero tolerance,” Maneka Gandhi said, announcing the committee last week. There has been no action yet towards forming the committee.

Most BJP MPs and ministers have refrained from commenting on the issue. Senior functionaries who spoke on the condition of anonymity said there was “discomfort” within the party over the charges levelled against the minister, and many were of the opinion that he should step down.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]