New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI) The ABVP on Friday welcomed Jawaharlal Nehru University’s decision to dismiss Congress Lok Sabha MP and professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam from university service following an inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment by women students.
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) JNU president Mayank Panchal said the dismissal was a significant step towards accountability and the outcome of the organisation’s sustained demand that the complaints of women students be taken seriously and investigated without delay.
“For the ABVP, the safety, dignity and justice of female students are not matters of political gain but serious issues tied to student rights and university responsibility. Justice, sensitivity and accountability must take precedence over political partisanship or double standards regarding women’s safety,” the organisation said in a statement.
The student body said 11 women students had lodged complaints against Akoijam, who was a professor at JNU’s Centre for the Study of Social Systems and represents Inner Manipur in the Lok Sabha. It said the university administration had fulfilled its institutional responsibility by acting on the internal committee’s report and the available facts under the relevant service rules.
ABVP JNU secretary Praveen Kumar Piyush said the organisation had consistently campaigned for a time-bound and impartial inquiry into the matter and had protested in September seeking urgent action.
“It is our firm belief that no one’s political position or influence should impede impartial action. The university administration must continue to ensure accountability to guarantee justice, safety and dignity for female students. It is not enough for the Congress Lok Sabha MP to step down; strict legal action must be taken against him, and he should be in jail,” Piyush said.
The ABVP also demanded that the complainants be provided full institutional support and that the university continue to ensure a safe and secure environment for women students on campus.
It alleged that the incident reflected a larger pattern of insensitivity towards women’s safety and demanded that political parties adopt a clear and accountable stand when serious allegations are made against their elected representatives.
“Justice, sensitivity and accountability must take precedence over political expediency and image management,” the ABVP said in the statement. PTI AHD PRK
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