India's junior minister for External Affairs, M J Akbar has stepped down amidst a torrent of sexual harassment allegations against him by over a dozen women during his stint as editor of several publications.
Mr Akbar’s resignation came after initial resistance and strong denials of allegations against him by a number of women journalists who alleged he sexually harassed them.
The #MeToo movement is currently sweeping the world’s largest democracy, which has so far witnessed many Indian women coming out in quick succession with allegations of sexual harassment against various men, particularly in the media and entertainment sectors.
After tendering his resignation, Mr Akbar issued a statement saying he was resigning since he had decided to “seek justice in a court of law in a personal capacity”. He said he would “challenge” the “false accusations” levied against him.
He had earlier filed a defamation suit against Priya Ramani, the first female journalist to publicly accuse him of harassment.
Following the news of his resignation, Ms Ramani tweeted that women were “vindicated by M.J. Akbar’s resignation.”
After almost a year of the #MeToo movement hitting the US, the feminist movement gained traction in India after former Bollywood actress Tanushree Dutta accused her co-star and veteran actor Nana Patekar of sexual harassment during a shooting of a film back in 2008.
Since then, a barrage of allegations ranging from sexual harassment to rape has surfaced against men in prominent positions, particularly in the entertainment and media industry, uncovering a disturbing pattern of abuse and a culture of silence around it.
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