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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Bansuri Swaraj on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Congress party and its top brass, questioning their silence over the sexual harassment allegations involving Congress Lok Sabha MP and former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Swaraj termed the revelations "bone-chilling" and accused the Congress of displaying hypocrisy when it comes to women's safety and empowerment. "From media sources and media reports, the kind of allegations that have emerged are bone-chilling; they shake one's very soul. I would like to place before you the details of the kind of allegations that have surfaced. The Congress MP, who was a professor at JNU, asked sexually inappropriate questions to female students during assessments. It is alleged that he indulged in unwelcome physical contact with female students in JNU," Swaraj said. Further detailing the accusations, the BJP MP claimed that assessments were conducted unethically at unusual hours at the MP's residence. "Not only this, but media reports also reveal the allegation that this Congress MP used to call these female students to his home late at night to conduct academic assessments. He conducted one viva examination until 11:40 at night! And not just thatallegations of sexually explicit classroom conduct have also come to light. All of these are extremely serious and grave allegations," she stated. Mounting a scathing offensive against the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, Swaraj questioned whether the slogan of combating patriarchy was merely empty rhetoric for the party. "Today, through all of you, I want to ask Rahul Gandhi and his Congress party: what is the matter? Is 'Smash the patriarchy' merely and exclusively political rhetoric for youjust a political gimmick? It seems that through this incident, Congress's hypocrisy is coming to the fore. For the Congress party, feminism merely begins with a hashtag and ends right at the threshold of accountability," she remarked. Taking aim at the collective silence of the Congress leadership, Swaraj added, "What is astonishing is that although these allegations surfaced in Mayfrom October 9th until now, the top leadership of the Congress party, that is, Rahul Gandhi himself has maintained silence; Kharge has said nothing; Priyanka Gandhi-ji has said nothing; honourable Sonia Gandhi too has said nothing." She further added, I challenge Rahul Gandhi: if you truly wish to 'smash the patriarchy', then stand with these 11 female students and take action against Angomcha Bimol Akoijam. (ANI)
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