00:00And now shifting focus, the JNU controversy over sexual harassment allegations against
00:05Congress MP Bimol Akhoi Jam is now snowballing.
00:08In an exclusive conversation with India Today's Rajdeep Sardesai, Akhoi Jam denied the sex
00:13for Marx allegation, challenged the JNU panel to prove the charges and also said that he
00:19would quit politics if found guilty.
00:21He has also accused the panel of insulting and torturing him.
00:25Meanwhile, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor alleged that JNU action was unjust and alleged that
00:31Akhoi Jam is being targeted because he is a Congress MP and also emphasized that facts
00:36must first be established.
00:37But the BJP is taking the matter to the highest office.
00:40Fifteen BJP women MPs led by D. Purandeshwari have submitted a memorandum to President Draupadi
00:47Murmu.
00:47Their demands include a referral to the Lok Sabha Ethics panel, suspension pending inquiry,
00:53protection and privacy for the 11 women students and swift, impartial legal proceedings.
00:58The BJP is also questioning the Congress leadership's silence on this matter.
01:03So let's take a look at the demands that have been raised by the BJP.
01:07They've submitted a memorandum against the Congress MP.
01:10They've submitted this to President Murmu.
01:12Let's take a look at the demands.
01:14So the first demand is referral of the case to the parliamentary ethics panel.
01:18They're also demanding that Akhoi Jam must be suspended pending inquiry and protection
01:24for the 11 women students.
01:26Remember, the sexual harassment charges include 11 women students that he has harassed at JNU.
01:32These are JNU students.
01:33So they are also demanding protection for these 11 students.
01:37And they've also demanded to protect dignity and privacy of the complainants in this matter
01:43and to ensure swift and impartial legal proceedings in this matter involving Congress MP Akhoi Jam.
01:51And they are also saying that the Congress party must also take a clear stand.
01:55Remember, the BJP has been questioning that the party which talks about smashing the patriarchy,
02:00why is the top brass of that party silent, completely mum on this matter?
02:08In fact, India Today's Rajdeep Sardisai spoke to under fire Congress MP Bimola Khoi Jam
02:13over the serious allegations levelled against him.
02:16Listen in.
02:18Do you accept that this is a very serious charge?
02:2211 female students from the Centre for Study of Social Systems filing sexual harassment complaints
02:27leading to your having to leave JNU or being dismissed and a police FIR.
02:32Do you concede that this is extremely grave, serious, and that you have much to answer for?
02:40No, I think I would say there has been an obscene spectacle that has been going on in the rest
02:47of the country
02:48in the name of these charges.
02:51That's my first response.
02:53And I'll tell you that you are saying 11 complainants.
02:58I have the record because you know that under POSAC, since I'm the respondent,
03:02I will have all the papers and others.
03:04There are 15 complainants, including three boys.
03:09That's the first correction.
03:11A lot of lies and outlandish lies have been preached.
03:14And a very serious statutory institutional institutions like ICC
03:20has been converted into a kha panchayat.
03:23And one of the classic examples is that you are still saying that 11 complainants.
03:28There are 15.
03:29Sir, whether there are 11 or 15...
03:33No, no, no, one minute, sir, one minute.
03:35When sexual harassment charges take place, at the very least, you're a Member of Parliament.
03:39Do you think you should be stepping aside till such time as an inquiry is complete?
03:43If you're innocent, you went before a committee of JNU,
03:47they are the ones who held you guilty, they've dismissed you.
03:51Do you feel now that you've become an embarrassment for the party
03:54and therefore you should step aside as a Member of Parliament?
03:57After serving this country for three decades,
04:00shipping students from Kenya and Kummeraj to Kashmir,
04:03if this lies and treatment is meted out to me,
04:06I will not blink an eye, leave the Indian Parliament,
04:10come here and back home in my home state and work and die.
04:13I'm saying 15 complainants, including three boys.
04:17And to your answer, all the things that they are saying,
04:21sex for Mark, show me a paper in the entire IC proceeding,
04:26is that accusation there or not?
04:29If you've proven me right, I will say that you shoot me.
04:33So why have these allegations been made then?
04:37Why are these... Is it because you are a...
04:38You should be inquiring into that.
04:40No, I'm asking you...
04:41Is that the appellate authority, JNUka Appellate Authority, is the VC.
04:45Why is she going from one television station to other telling lies?
04:50She said that 300 mails?
04:52That means in the last four and a half months,
04:54she's writing three mails every day to me?
04:57Here is the record.
04:59There are 43 mails,
05:02starting with the first one on 22nd May at 4, 6 p.m.
05:06The last one is they sent me the report of the IC at 11.35 on 9.
05:13After everything was leaked in the press,
05:16they sent me the so-called findings to me...
05:18So you're saying this is politically motivated, but...
05:23Forget about it.
05:24I want a sensible journalist like you to raise this question.
05:28Why is that Section 16 of the POSSEC has been not followed?
05:32You ask why is the rule number 8, regulation 8 of the use issue on POSSEC has not been followed?
