A delegation of BJP women MPs met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on October 15 and submitted a memorandum seeking an Ethics Committee inquiry into Congress MP Bimol Akoijam over sexual harassment allegations linked to Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
BJP MP Daggubati Purandeswari said the delegation had asked the Speaker to refer the matter to the House Ethics Committee and examine whether the allegations and the findings of an internal committee had any bearing on Akoijam’s continuation as a Lok Sabha member.
“We filed a memorandum that Congress MP Bimol had been found to be guilty by the internal committee. So, we requested the Speaker to refer this to the Ethics Committee and look into it,” Purandeswari said.
She added that Birla had assured the delegation that he would examine the matter and consider the legal options available, including a possible referral to the Ethics Committee.
Purandeswari also criticised the Congress leadership over what she described as its silence on the allegations, urging Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to speak out on the issue.
The memorandum comes amid a political dispute over the allegations against Akoijam. Any parliamentary action will depend on the Speaker’s consideration of the request and the applicable procedures.
