Me too movement: MoS MJ Akbar, accused of sexual harassment, must resign, says Congress

New Delhi, Oct 10: The Congress has demanded the resignation of junior foreign minister MJ Akbar, who has been accused of sexual harassment, when he was an editor.

Addressing a press conference, Congress leader Jaipal Reddy said Akbar must either offer a satisfactory explanation or resign forthwith.

"Union minister MJ Akbar should either give a satisfactory answer to the allegations or he should resign. We demand an inquiry into the matter," Congress lawmaker, Jaipal Reddy said.

In 2017, Priya Ramani, a journalist, had written a piece in Vogue, recalling the horrific incident that took place in 1997. Narrating her ordeal in the article titled "To the Harvey Weinstein of the world", Ramani wrote about the sexual misconduct she faced during a job interview with a famed journalist who had "transformed Indian journalism."

Further, she claimed "lots of women have worse stories about this predator - maybe they'll share."

More women journalists subsequently came forward, claiming that Akbar "drank Vodka" during their "job interviews" and also asked them to "sit close" to him.

A senior journalist, said on Twitter, "The whole experience of an interview sitting on a bed in a hotel room followed by an invitation to come over for a drink that evening, was rattling and deeply uncomfortable."

Another journalist claimed Akbar called her to his hotel room to 'discuss work' after she had finished with sending off her edition to press at midnight. She alleged that he "made life at work hell" for her when she refused.