New Delhi, Oct 12: BJP Mahila Morcha workers on Monday staged a protest outside the Congress headquarters on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg in New Delhi, over sexual harassment allegations against Congress MP and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam.

The protesters raised slogans demanding justice for about a dozen female students who have levelled allegations against Akoijam. One of the slogans was, “JNU ki 11 betiyan nyay ki hakdaar betiyan” (JNU’s 11 daughters deserve justice).

Another slogan called on the Congress leadership to respond and take action against its MP. The protesters also staged demonstrations in Bengaluru, demanding action in the matter.

Earlier on Monday, Delhi Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) following a complaint lodged by JNU’s Chief Security Officer, days after the allegations surfaced.

According to officials, the FIR was registered at the Vasant Kunj North police station on Sunday, October 11, under Sections 75, 75(1)(i), 75(1)(iv) and 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Akoijam has been named in the FIR, and police are investigating the matter.

According to media reports, at least 11 female students filed sexual harassment complaints against Akoijam in May. The complaints alleged that he had invited students to his campus residence under the pretext of meetings or gatherings and attempted to sexually harass them. Some students also alleged that he made obscene and inappropriate remarks in the classroom.

The allegations were reportedly examined during an inquiry that preceded the university’s decision to dismiss him from his position.

On Sunday, the BJP also questioned the Congress leadership, particularly Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, over its alleged silence on the matter. The party asked whether Gandhi’s earlier “Smash the Patriarchy” remark was merely political rhetoric.

Addressing a press conference, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj said, “Today, while we are worshipping Maa Shailputri, I am bringing a very serious issue concerning the daughters of this country before you. JNU has dismissed Congress MP Bimol Akoijam from his job over allegations of sexual misconduct. In 2024, not one or two, but 11 students filed sexual harassment complaints against him. JNU constituted an Internal Committee under the POSH Act, which, after a detailed probe, immediately dismissed Akoijam.”

Swaraj criticised the Congress leadership, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi, for not publicly commenting on the allegations.

“Is ‘Smash the Patriarchy’ only political rhetoric for you? It seems that this incident reflects the hypocrisy of the Congress. For them, feminism starts with a hashtag and ends when it comes to accountability,” she said.

Questioning the party’s position, Swaraj added, “Is women’s respect just restricted to being a slogan and not a policy of the Congress party?”

Mumbai, Oct 12: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday launched a scathing attack on the opposition and activist groups, defending Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant’s decision to decline a meeting with protesters.

Speaking during a media interaction, he accused opposition parties and outfits of running a systematic design to undermine India’s core constitutional institutions and usher in an “ultra-Leftist” brand of anarchy.

Defending the CJI’s refusal to meet demonstrators, CM Fadnavis asked, “Which Constitution states that the Chief Justice of India should meet protesters and marchers?” He emphasised that the CJI acted well within his constitutional rights and praised the judiciary’s stance that grievances must be legally addressed inside courtrooms rather than through street pressure.

CM Fadnavis alleged that a well-crafted conspiracy is underway to systematically devalue independent pillars of democracy, such as the Supreme Court, the Election Commission, and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He noted that the ultimate goal of these groups is to convince citizens that constitutional frameworks cannot deliver justice.

Commenting on recent demonstrations, including those by the Congress and civil groups, CM Fadnavis distinguished between lawful democratic protest and chaos. Pointing to instances where crowds allegedly crossed the line with provocative sloganeering, he asserted that when thousands with criminal records mobilise to disrupt public order, it amounts to outright anarchy rather than peaceful dissent.

Addressing reports that certain protesters praised his governance style as “soft-hearted” to allow demonstrations, he dismissed the remarks as a tactical ploy. He stated he is not easily swayed by opportunistic flattery, pointing out that the intent behind such praise was merely a convenient vehicle to target higher offices.

Contrasting the current protests with constructive democratic engagement, CM Fadnavis highlighted his administration’s willingness to engage in dialogue with anyone — reiterating that even violent insurgent elements like Naxalites have been approached with attempts at reform and persuasion through democratic channels, rather than enabling lawlessness under the guise of activism.

CM Fadnavis’ comment comes after BJP National President Nitin Nabin targeted Opposition parties and youth groups leading protests in the national capital over electoral roll revisions and the Chief Election Commissioner’s accountability.

Nabin accused the INDIA bloc and youth organisations (such as the Cockroach Janta Party) of attempting to “destabilise the nation” after being rejected by voters in democratic elections. He alleged that the ongoing protests were being driven at the behest of “foreign forces” seeking to undermine domestic peace and economic development.

Mumbai, Oct 12: The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray on Monday accused the Central government of resorting to “cowardly” dictatorial tactics to crush “widespread” anti-government demonstrations across the country.

Its criticism comes in the wake of a security clampdown in the national capital and Mumbai on October 10, during which thousands of protesters, student activists, and key opposition figures were detained.

The Thackeray camp in the party’s mouthpiece, ‘Saamana’, said that the Central government deployed armed security personnel — recalled from anti-terror and anti-Naxalite operations in regions such as Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Manipur — to enforce an unprecedented blockade across Delhi.

Access routes and alleys across the national capital were sealed, while an estimated force of nearly 1,00,000 armed personnel surrounded the residence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Krishna Menon Road. The aggressive security grid disrupted public infrastructure, shutting down internet services, metro transit, local bus networks, incoming long-distance trains and commercial flights. Police reportedly boarded an aircraft to detain key political leaders, including Dipankar Bhattacharya and Manoj Jha, claimed the editorial.

Despite the widespread logistical shutdown, large crowds of students and civil society members reached protest venues in Delhi. During the crackdown, police arrested former Chief Ministers, including former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, the editorial stated.

In Mumbai, police detained Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, as he attempted to lead a peaceful satyagraha towards August Kranti Maidan. The action drew immediate resistance from opposition leaders, with Shiv Sena(UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and party workers marching to the DN Nagar police station to demand his immediate release, the editorial said.

The editorial highlighted growing international scrutiny over India’s internal security operations. The United Nations Human Rights Office expressed deep concern over the arbitrary detentions, the heavy-handed police conduct, and reports of female demonstrators being dragged into prison vans and taken to undisclosed locations. The UN urged Indian authorities to uphold the fundamental right to peaceful assembly and release all arbitrarily detained citizens. In addition, global news outlets, including The New York Times and major London dailies, featured photos of the crackdown, observing that Indian democracy faces a severe crisis.

Rebutting statements from BJP leaders and state media portraying the demonstrations as a “flop show”, the Thackeray camp asserted that the government’s panicked reliance on iron-fisted policing demonstrated its underlying vulnerability.

The editorial alleged a decade-long pattern of public harassment, treasury exploitation, and electoral manipulation. “When a dictator is afraid, the demon within him builds armed steel walls for self-protection, but these walls are inevitably destroyed by the rebellion of the people,” the editorial declared, claiming that public outrage over governance issues has reached a tipping point.