NEW DELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged a protest on campus and burnt effigies of the university’s Internal Committee (IC) and a professor facing sexual harassment allegations. The student organisation alleged that action in the matter was being delayed due to political influence and questioned the university’s handling of complaints reportedly filed by several female students.
According to the ABVP, multiple female students have levelled serious allegations of sexual harassment against a JNU professor. The organisation, citing information available through media and social media reports, identified the professor as Professor Bimol Akoijam, who is also a Congress MP.
The ABVP claimed that the complaints have been placed before the university’s Internal Committee and that proceedings in the matter are underway. However, it alleged that no action has been taken so far despite the seriousness of the allegations.
The student organisation accused the university administration and the Internal Committee of insensitivity towards the complaints and demanded a swift and transparent process.
ABVP raises questions over alleged political influence
During the protest, ABVP members questioned whether the professor’s political position was influencing the proceedings.
The organisation asked whether action was being delayed because the accused professor is a Congress parliamentarian and alleged that he could be using his position to prevent action against him.
The ABVP also questioned the role of representatives of left-wing student organisations who are members of the JNU Internal Committee. It alleged that representatives who publicly advocate women’s rights and safety had failed to ensure timely action in the case.
The student organisation further alleged that political pressure could be affecting the proceedings and said that any interference in the investigation or unnecessary delay in hearing complaints would be a serious matter.
ABVP demands accountability from Internal Committee representatives
ABVP JNU president Mayank Panchal alleged that the absence of swift action in a case involving serious allegations demonstrated the alleged political influence over the university’s Internal Committee.
Panchal also referred to other individuals whom he alleged were associated with left-wing organisations and had faced sexual harassment-related allegations. These claims were made by the ABVP in its press statement and have not been independently established in the statement itself.
“Political protection” for an accused professor, Panchal alleged, demonstrated the “real face” of the university’s Internal Committee and left-wing organisations.
ABVP JNU minister Praveen Kumar Piyush also criticised representatives of left-wing student organisations serving on the Internal Committee and demanded that they resign.
Piyush alleged that representatives had failed to participate adequately in proceedings concerning another sexual harassment complaint involving an AISA member. He argued that their alleged absence reflected insensitivity towards complaints concerning women’s safety and rights.
Demand for fair and timely proceedings
The ABVP said that complaints of sexual harassment must be handled through a fair, transparent and time-bound process, irrespective of the political or organisational position of the person facing allegations.
The student organisation maintained that if political influence, an individual’s position or any other external factor is affecting the investigation, it would undermine confidence in JNU’s grievance-redressal mechanism.
The protest comes amid broader debates on the effectiveness of institutional mechanisms for addressing complaints of sexual harassment on university campuses. The ABVP has demanded that the JNU administration ensure that the allegations are examined expeditiously and that the Internal Committee functions without political interference.
