Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Sunday, 11 October publicly challenged Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over their silence on the sexual harassment allegations against Congress MP and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, asserting that not a single Congress leader or spokesperson had spoken on the matter.

What Paswan Said

Speaking out amid the ongoing Navratri celebrations, Paswan drew a sharp contrast between the Congress leadership's past conduct and their current silence. 'As an MP, he has responsibilities, and as a professor, who is regarded as a teacher and even as God, he has an even greater responsibility. At a time when Navratri begins, and women are worshipped as goddesses in our country, such incidents are happening. What is more concerning is the selective criticism by political parties. When such incidents occur under another party or government, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi take to the streets, but when their own MP faces such allegations, not a single Congress leader or spokesperson has spoken up,' Paswan said.

JD(U) Joins the Attack

Janata Dal (United) leader Rajeev Ranjan also trained his sights on the Leader of the Opposition, arguing that matters of this gravity demanded a formal response from the LoP's office. 'Rahul Gandhi's silence is undoubtedly surprising. Imagine if a similar incident had been linked to a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or the NDA. What would Rahul ji's reaction have been then?' Ranjan said. He added: 'If such serious allegations are being made against a professor who is also a Congress MP, it raises concerns about the expectations the public has of its MPs. A dual approach on matters of this seriousness cannot be tolerated.'

JNU Dismisses Akoijam

Jawaharlal Nehru University has dismissed Dr Angomcha Bimol Akoijam — Congress Lok Sabha member from Inner Manipur and faculty member at the Centre for the Study of Social Systems, School of Social Sciences — with immediate effect after its Internal Committee (IC) found him guilty of sexually harassing female students. The dismissal order was signed by Vice-Chancellor Professor Santishree D. Pandit.

The IC's findings, according to reports, recommended a 'major punishment' against Akoijam following an internal inquiry. The order stated: 'An inquiry was conducted by the Internal Committee (IC) against Prof. Angomcha Bimol Akoijam of the Centre for the Study of Social Systems, School of Social Sciences, pursuant to allegations of sexual harassment. Based on the findings, the Internal Committee (IC) recommended a major punishment to Prof. Angomcha Bimol Akoijam.'

Political and Institutional Context

This comes amid heightened scrutiny of how political parties respond — or fail to respond — when their own elected representatives face misconduct allegations. Notably, Akoijam holds a dual position: as a sitting MP he is accountable to Parliament's ethics framework, and as a professor he was bound by the University Grants Commission's Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment regulations. Critics argue the Congress leadership's silence is particularly conspicuous given the party's vocal stance on women's safety under rival governments. The university's decision to act swiftly and enforce a major punishment is being seen as institutional accountability in action, even as the political dimension remains unaddressed.

With JNU having formally acted, attention now shifts to whether the Congress party will respond to mounting pressure from coalition allies and civil society to address the allegations against one of its own MPs.