Union Minister MJ Akbar resigns over #MeToo claims

As several women journalists accused Union Minister M J Akbar of sexual harassment, he resigned on Wednesday.

MJ Akbar worked as an editor for ‘The Asian Age’ and turned politician to serve as the Minister of State for External Affairs.

Amidst the allegations from women journalists against him under the #MeToo movement, he resigned from his minister post.

Many women journalists who have worked with him for ‘The Asian Age’ accused him of sexual harassment.

20 women issued a statement jointly on Tuesday in order to support their colleague Priya Ramani who accused him of sexual harassment.

Out of them, 19 are journalists of ‘The Asian Age’. The resignation followed the joint statement of women journalists.

In that written statement they said that Ramani is not alone in her fight and they all will support her. They requested the court to consider their testimonies about the sexual harassment, culture of casual misogyny and sexual predation for which many of them were being the witnesses.

MJ Akbar who returned on Sunday from his overseas trip responded negatively to the sexual allegations made against him and the demands for his resignation stating that the accusations that have been made against him were false.

Later on Monday, he filed a private criminal defamation case against Ramani accusing her of intentional and malicious defamation.

Ramani who accused him of sexual harassment asserted that she was ready to fight with the complaint filed against her. She added that absolute truth is her only defence.

Following this, women journalists supported her and issued a joint statement which led to the resignation of the minister.

The resignation is termed as ‘right decision’ by another Union Minister Ramdas Athwale as the opposition was asking for his resignation on moral grounds.

He said that all allegations made against him should be investigated properly.

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