Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam's supporters on Wednesday marched to the gate of the BJP headquarters in Manipur, shouting slogans against BJP state president A Sharda Devi, over her demand for the MP's resignation following allegations of sexual misconduct by some students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). The police pushed back the protesters after they reached the gate.
The demonstrators accused the BJP leadership of targeting Akoijam and denounced what they described as a "political witch hunt". Devi had been vocal in demanding the Congress MP's resignation after the allegations emerged.
In a parallel demonstration, supporters staged a sit-in protest at Akoijam's residence, expressing solidarity with him and condemning the filing of an FIR against him. Later, Akoijam came out of his residence and addressed the gathering and thanked his supporters for standing by him. He said that, until now, he had by and large maintained silence out of respect for the requirements of legal procedure.
The protests came amid a political controversy over an FIR filed by Delhi Police following a complaint by JNU authorities against Akoijam. The Congress MP has described the case as a witch hunt and alleged that he was being targeted for speaking out on the situation in Manipur.
Akoijam has also rejected the BJP's allegation that he was hiding in Imphal and denied that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was protecting him.
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