Minister MJ Akbar Named In #MeToo, Senior Sushma Swaraj Ducks Question

Union Minister and former editor MJ Akbar has been accused of sexual harassment in the snowballing #MeToo movement in India that began with a thread on Twitter. His boss Sushma Swaraj, the Union Foreign Minister, did not respond when she was asked today about any action against the minister.

"There are serious allegations...these are sexual harassment allegations. You are a woman minister in charge. Will there be a probe on the allegations," Tribune reporter Smita Sharma questioned Ms Swaraj. The minister walked past without a word.

MJ Akbar is believed to be in Nigeria.

A veteran journalist and junior foreign minister, MJ Akbar was named in a tweet by journalist Priya Ramani, who had first shared her account a year ago when the #MeToo campaign exploded in the US with the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

Several tweets had talked about "the editor who helmed a unputdownable newspaper" and similar hints before the name was put out in the public domain.

Priya Ramani named him as the editor she had written about in a magazine article in October last year.

I began this piece with my MJ Akbar story. Never named him because he didn't "do" anything. Lots of women have worse stories about this predator-maybe they'll share. #ulti https://t.co/5jVU5WHHo7

— Priya Ramani (@priyaramani) October 8, 2018

More journalists came out with allegations after the tweet.

@It was #MJAkbar I do not say this lightly..i know the consequences of false accusations &it has been now 17 yrs &i have no concrete proof. but i was young, just made features editor, super impressed with our brilliant editor, sensitive writer(read Riot after Riot), 1/4

— prerna singh bindra (@prernabindra) October 9, 2018

When will that man be outed, the editor who helmed an unputdownable newspaper in his 20s (or was it 30s?) and has nursed crushes on several political parties? #MeToo

— PleaseGetWooed (@sohinichat) October 5, 2018

Priya Ramani had not named MJ Akbar when she wrote in the Vogue India article - addressed to "Dear Male Boss" - about her experience after she was invited by him to a plush Mumbai hotel for an interview. He allegedly called her to his room, offered her a drink and asked her to sit close to him.

"We'll get you all one day," was Ms Ramani's parting shot in the article titled "To the Harvey Weinsteins of the world".

Harvey Weinstein, an Oscar-winning film producer, has been accused by multiple women of sexual harassment and assault.

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