The BJP stepped up its campaign against Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam on Monday, staging a protest outside the Congress headquarters in Delhi and holding demonstrations in Manipur and other parts of the country. The party is demanding his resignation over sexual harassment allegations following his dismissal from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
BY PC Bureau
NEW DELHI/ October 13: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday staged a protest outside the Congress headquarters in New Delhi, intensifying its campaign against Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam following his dismissal from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) over sexual harassment allegations.
The demonstration was part of a wider campaign by the BJP’s women’s wing, which held protests in several parts of the country, demanding that Akoijam resign from the Lok Sabha and that the Congress leadership take action against him. Protesters also targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing the party of maintaining silence over the allegations.
The protests followed JNU’s October 9 decision to terminate Akoijam’s services with immediate effect after an inquiry by the university’s Internal Committee into complaints lodged by 11 women students. The university said the committee had recommended major punishment and that the dismissal followed the applicable service rules.
BJP intensifies pressure on Congress
In Delhi, BJP demonstrators gathered outside the Congress headquarters to demand accountability from the party and its leadership. The campaign has centred on the argument that a sitting MP facing allegations of sexual harassment should not be shielded by his political affiliation.
The BJP has also questioned Rahul Gandhi’s response to the controversy, seeking to contrast the Congress’s public position on women’s safety with its handling of allegations against one of its own MPs. BJP Mahila Morcha activists have staged similar demonstrations elsewhere, with reports of effigy-burning protests targeting both Rahul Gandhi and Akoijam.
Delhi: BJP Mahila Morcha staged a protest outside the Congress headquarters over the sexual harassment allegations against Congress MP and dismissed JNU professor Bimol Akoijam. https://t.co/jZog1QnurI
— IANS (@ians_india) October 12, 2026
In Manipur, BJP leaders and women’s wing activists have repeatedly demanded Akoijam’s resignation on moral grounds. Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh has also called on the Congress MP to step down following the university’s decision.
Akoijam represents the Inner Manipur constituency, which he won on a Congress ticket in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Before entering Parliament, he taught at JNU’s Centre for the Study of Social Systems under the School of Social Sciences.
Akoijam calls dismissal a ‘witch hunt’
Akoijam has rejected the allegations and described his dismissal as a “witch hunt”. He has questioned the university’s handling of the proceedings, alleged procedural violations and demanded access to the evidence and findings on which the decision was based. He has indicated that he intends to challenge the action through legal channels.
The controversy has also entered the criminal justice system. Delhi Police has registered an FIR against Akoijam following a complaint by JNU’s chief security officer. The case concerns allegations of sexual harassment and insulting a woman’s modesty under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Akoijam has denied the allegations.
The university’s disciplinary decision and the police case are separate proceedings. The allegations and the FIR should not, by themselves, be treated as a judicial finding of criminal guilt.
Political confrontation widens
Congress leaders in Manipur have called for the matter to be dealt with through due process, while the BJP has sought to turn the controversy into a broader political confrontation over accountability and women’s safety.
The BJP’s nationwide demonstrations have increased pressure on the Congress leadership to respond more forcefully. Akoijam, however, has alleged that the action against him is politically motivated and has questioned the fairness of the university’s inquiry.
With the MP preparing to challenge his dismissal and the police investigation under way, the controversy is likely to remain a flashpoint between the BJP and Congress, particularly in Manipur, where Akoijam has emerged as a prominent political figure.
