“Any attempt to suppress Bimol Akoijam is an attempt to suppress the people of Manipur” — supporters of Congress Lok Sabha MP Prof. Angomcha Bimol Akoijam declared today as they staged a sit-in demonstration outside his residence at Keishamthong before marching towards the BJP headquarters at Keishampat, rejecting what they described as a politically motivated campaign to discredit the MP.
“People of Manipur will stand by Bimol Akoijam,” a protester asserted, capturing the central message of the demonstration, which saw participants raise slogans in support of the MP and against the BJP over the sexual harassment allegations linked to his tenure at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
The protesters maintained that allegations against Akoijam should be addressed through due process rather than turned into a political weapon to silence a leader who, they said, had consistently raised the concerns of Manipur in Parliament and beyond. They described the controversy as an attempt at character assassination and vowed to continue standing by the MP.
Protester Jeniffer said Akoijam had fearlessly spoken up for the people since the outbreak of the ongoing crisis in Manipur, arguing that targeting him over the allegations would not erase his voice in raising the state’s concerns.
“Since the beginning of the crisis in Manipur, Bimol has fearlessly raised his voice in Parliament and wherever possible to ensure that the truth comes out. Making such allegations against a person who has consistently spoken up for the people is an attempt to silence him,” she said.
The rally also challenged what the protesters alleged was unequal treatment by the police. They claimed that their demonstration, which they described as a democratic expression of public opinion, faced attempts at obstruction, while a recent BJP-led rally demanding Akoijam’s resignation had proceeded without similar restrictions. The allegation raised questions among the protesters about the equal treatment of opposing political demonstrations.
Akoijam later came out of his residence and addressed the gathering assembled outside the gate.
The demonstration came after the state BJP leaders reportedly staged a rally near Congress Bhavan demanding Akoijam’s resignation and the women BJP MPs submitted a memorandum to the President of India in connection with the JNU controversy. Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh has also reportedly called on the Congress MP to resign over the allegations and his dismissal from university service.