New Delhi: The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged a protest at the university’s main gate on Wednesday, burning an effigy and demanding the immediate arrest of Congress MP and former JNU professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam over allegations of sexual harassment.
The student organisation called on the Delhi Police to conduct an impartial investigation and take action in accordance with the law, alleging that political influence should not shield anyone from accountability. According to the press note, the university has dismissed Akoijam from his professorship following an internal committee inquiry into complaints by female students, and an FIR has been registered in the matter.
ABVP accused the Congress of applying double standards on women’s safety, citing its slogan, “Ladki Hoon, Lad Sakti Hoon”. The organisation questioned the party’s public commitment to women’s rights in the context of the allegations against its MP and demanded a clear position from its leadership.
The protest organisers maintained that the matter should not be dismissed as a political dispute, particularly after the university’s action and the registration of an FIR. They urged the police to ensure that the investigation proceeds without political pressure and that the legal process is allowed to take its course.
JNU ABVP unit president Mayank Panchal said women’s safety should extend beyond slogans and speeches. Referring to the university’s inquiry and the FIR, he demanded the immediate arrest of the accused and a fair investigation.
“Varying standards regarding women’s safety based on political convenience are unacceptable,” Panchal said, adding that female students must receive justice and that political patronage should not obstruct the law.
ABVP unit secretary Praveen Kumar Piyush said the organisation had consistently raised concerns about the safety and rights of female students at JNU. He stressed that political position or influence should not impede impartial legal action.
Piyush also called for accountability from the Congress over serious allegations involving its representatives, reiterating ABVP’s demand for immediate arrest and legal proceedings in accordance with the law.
The organisation said the safety, dignity and rights of female students in educational institutions must remain paramount, irrespective of an individual’s political affiliation or position.
