Time''s not up for #MeToo accused minister, Akbar refuses to quit

Smita Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 14

Exactly a week since the #MeToo storm first hit the government, Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar on Sunday refused to quit. 

Hours after returning this morning from an official visit to Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea without cutting short the trip, a defiant Akbar brazened out allegations of sexual harassment against himself in a statement to media in his 9 Teenmurti Lane bungalow.

"The allegations of misconduct made against me are false and fabricated, spiced up by innuendo and malice. I could not reply earlier as I was on an official tour abroad," said Akbar as he lashed out at the #MeToo campaign. "Accusation without evidence has become a viral fever among some sections," he added threatening to take appropriate legal action against those who have levelled 'wild and baseless allegations' against him. 

Last Sunday, journalist Priya Ramani first named Akbar in a tweet and identified him as the anonymous male editor she wrote about in an article last year and narrated her harrowing experience with him as a subordinate. "When asked recently why she had not named me, she replied, in a Tweet: "Never named him because he didn't 'do' anything. "If I didn't do anything, where and what is the story? There is no story. This was admitted at the very inception. But a sea of innuendo, speculation and abusive diatribe has been built around something that never happened," responded Akbar in his statement today to Ramani's tweet.

A prominent journalist, Akbar had been Editor for leading papers, including Asian Age, India Today and Telegraph. Since Ramani, the junior minister has been named and shamed publicly by some dozen women journalists, including two 18-year-old.

One of the most harrowing accounts of sexual abuse was narrated in an article by journalist Ghazala Wahab, reportedly of the time 21 years ago when she was working in the Asian Age where Akbar was then Editor. 

Calling the allegations as false and motivated, Akbar in his statement said, "It is pertinent to remember that both Ms Ramani and Ms Wahab kept working with me even after these alleged incidents; this clearly establishes that they had no apprehension and discomfort. The reason why they remained silent for decades is very apparent: as Ms Ramani has herself stated, I never did anything." 

The Minister also questioned the timing of the allegations linking it to upcoming general elections and asking if there is an agenda. "Lies do not have legs, but they do contain poison, which can be whipped into a frenzy," he said.

Opposition Congress which had earlier asked for M J Akbar to step aside to pave way for a probe, lashed out at the Modi government. "It is a question of women's dignity, security and safety. It was expected that the Minister concerned would give an immediate explanation," Congress leader Anand Sharma said.

"But it was equally the duty of the Prime Minister, Constitutional duty and moral duty, to speak. Why the Prime Minister has chosen to be silent is the fundamental question. Tell the country what your views are," Sharma told reporters here.

On the issue, Union Minister Ramdas Athwale was quoted as saying by ANI in Pune, "If a person is accused of something it must be investigated. Many people have been found guilty in the #MeToo movement. But I think proper inquiry should be done. However, there can also be an attempt to defame politicians as well as actors." 

"Prabhupada Swami always talked about character building and used to say 'if you lose character it is a real loss'. What we're witnessing today in #MeToo movement is a reflection of what is happening around and this value education becomes important," Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said.

MJ Akbar's full statement

The allegations of misconduct made against me are false and fabricated, spiced up by innuendo and malice. I could not reply earlier as I was on an official tour abroad.

Accusation without evidence has become a viral fever among some sections. Whatever be the case, now that I have returned, my lawyers will look into these wild and  baseless allegations in order to decide our future  course of legal action. 

My response is:

Ms Priya Ramani began this campaign a year ago with a magazine article. She did not however name me as she knew it was an incorrect story. When asked recently why she had not named me, she replied, in a Tweet: “Never named him because he didn't 'do' anything."

If I didn't do anything, where and what is the story? There is no story. This was admitted at the very inception. But a sea of innuendo, speculation and abusive diatribe has been built around something that never happened.  Some are total, unsubstantiated hearsay; others confirm, on the record, that I didn’t do anything. Let me note examples. Shutapa Paul states, “The man never laid a hand on me.”

Shuma Raha says, “I must clarify, however, that he didn’t actually ‘do’ anything”. One woman, Anju Bharti, went to the absurd extent of claiming I was partying in a swimming pool. I do not know how to swim. 

Another accusation was made repeatedly by Ms Ghazala Wahab, in an effort to damage my reputation. She claimed that she had been molested in office, 21 years ago. This  is 16 years before I entered public life, and when I was in media.

The only office where I worked with her was that of The Asian Age. A part of the editorial team then worked out of a small hall.  At the time concerned, I had a very tiny cubicle, patched together by plywood and glass. Others had tables and chairs two feet away. It is utterly bizarre to believe that anything could have happened in that tiny space, and, moreover, that no one else in the vicinity would come to know, in the midst of a working day. These allegations are false, motivated and baseless. 

Ms Wahab states that she complained to Ms Veenu Sandal, who wrote features for the paper. Ms Sandal has described Ms Wahab’s version as nonsense, in an interview to the Indian Express. Ms Sandal has also said that she has never heard, in 20 years, anybody accusing me of any such thing.

It is pertinent to remember that both Ms Ramani and Ms Wahab kept working with me even after these alleged incidents; this clearly establishes that they had no apprehension and discomfort.  The reason why they remained silent for decades is very apparent: as Ms Ramani has herself stated, I never did anything.

This is the reason why no one went to the authorities for so long, because I had done nothing.  

Why has this storm risen a few months before a general election? Is there an agenda? You be the judge.

These false, baseless and wild allegations have caused irreparable damage to my reputation and goodwill.

Lies do not have legs, but they do contain poison, which can be whipped into a frenzy. This is deeply distressing. As indicated above, I will be taking appropriate legal action.