India
The former editor and union minister of state for external affairs has been accused of sexual harassment by a slew of women
New Delhi: The scimitar of uncertainty hangs ever close to the political fate of MoS MJ Akbar as even the RSS threw in its weight against him on Thursday. Seconding the stand taken by senior ABVP activist Rashmi Das, who questioned the regime's silence over accusations of sexual harassment levelled against the minister and former editor, RSS top shot Dattatreya Hosabale said he was "feeling the same".
ABVP activist Rashmi Das questioned the silence maintained by the ruling BJP with regard to Akbar being accused in the #metoo movement by journalist Saba Naqvi and writer Gazala Wahab.
In an article in Firstpost, she wrote “But the government has embraced silence to defend a serial offender. The BJP now is sending lower-rung spokespersons who possibly do not have any inkling about Sangh Parivar traditions and they are trying to brazen it out.”
After Ankhi Das, the south and central Asia director of public policy shared this article on her Facebook feed, RSS joint general secretary Dattatreya Hosebole endorsed it from his official twitter handle.
I liked it. She has articulated what I was feeling .. pic.twitter.com/2uQpYdmeQs
— Dattatreya Hosabale (@DattaHosabale)So, it comes as no surprise that two days after Sushma Swaraj evaded a question about Akbar, union minister Smriti Irani answered it straight up. She said, “It's for the concerned person (MJ Akbar) to answer (on allegations made against him). But one thing is for sure we should not question any women who are coming out with their tale of harassments”.
Does it bode troubles for Akbar since the government seems to have made up their mind?
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