Junior foreign minister MJ Akbar nto to resign as the allegations are “false and fabricated”.
New Delhi: Union minister MJ Akbar has filed a criminal defamation case against the journalist who had accused him of sexual harassment, according to news agency ANI. The junior foreign minister, who has rejected the allegations as “false and fabricated”, filed the complaint in a Delhi court on Monday soon after he returned to work.
Today, the Congress followed up its attack with youth workers hitting the street near Akbar’s residence, waving flags and placards as they marched to Teen Murti Lane in the heart of the national capital.
Over half-a-dozen women journalists have accused Akbar of harassment when he was an editor.
Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar on Monday moved a Delhi court against journalist Priya Ramani seeking her prosecution for defaming him by levelling false and defamatory sexual harassment charges.
Mr. Akbar filed a criminal defamation case in the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sumit Dass at the Patiala House courts for her prosecution.
“The present complaint is being preferred against the accused, for defaming and damaging the reputation of the complainant, in terms of Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, by way of tweets, articles etc., published as well as distributed and disseminated at the behest of the accused, in the print media as well as on online platforms such as Vogue magazine, twitter, Firstpost etc. The accused has made false, derogatory and malicious imputations against the complainant,” the complaint said.
It further said that “the accused herself, while putting forward defamatory statements, relating to incidents which allegedly occurred 20 years ago, simultaneously admits that the complainant has not done anything to her.”
“It is pertinent to mention that the conduct of the accused person, of taking any action before any authority, qua the alleged incident against the complainant also clearly belies the sanctity of the article and allegations made by the accused person, which evidently goes on to prove that the said defamatory articles are only a figment of her imagination and are only intended to malign the reputation of the country,” the complaint said.
The junior foreign minister broke his silence on the allegations on Sunday, within hours of reaching the country from Africa and linked the campaign against him in context of the #MeToo movement to politics, more specifically the general elections next year.
The Congress’ Priyanka Chaturvedi had promptly questioned how a dozen women sharing their experiences could be a political conspiracy. Congress leader Anand Sharma had demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak on the allegation.
Today, the Congress followed up its attack with youth workers hitting the street near Akbar’s residence, waving flags and placards as they marched to Teen Murti Lane in the heart of the national capital.
Since last month, several actresses, writers and journalists have taken to social media with allegations of sexual harassment and assault by their superiors and colleagues, mainly at workplaces.
The BJP, which had so far refused to speak on the allegations against Akbar on one ground or the other, said he has given his version on the row. Asked if the ruling party agrees with Akbar, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said: “It is not about agreeing or disagreeing. He has presented his version”.
Union ministers Maneka Gandhi and Smriti Irani have supported the #MeToo movement but have not spelt out their stand on the allegations against Akbar.