JNU sexual harassment complainants slam ABVP for politicising case, breaching confidentiality

In an open statement, the complainants in a sexual harassment case at JNU involving a professor have condemned the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for politicising and publicising the matter without consent. The complainants state that the sexual harassment complaint was registered with an internal committee under confidentiality, which they argue was breached.

The complainants have alleged that ABVP spread “misinformation” regarding the case even before the enquiry was concluded.

They have further accused ABVP of turning the matter into a public spectacle and speaking to media outlets without the complainants' consent, and putting their anonymity and safety at risk.

“They have done this for their own political agenda, not because they are feminists or guardians of women's issues. The ABVP-RSS-BJP regime has constantly undermined women's safety and created a culture of misogyny not only on this campus but in this entire country,” the letter said.

Following the inquiry, JNU has sacked professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam over allegations of sexual harassment.

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‘Discouraged us from filing a complaint’

The letter further points out that even before the complaints were filed, students associated with ABVP discouraged complainants from filing a complaint and spoke to the accused professor without consent and asked them to accept a “lousy apology.”

Moreover, screenshots were leaked of the complainants from the classroom group chat discussing their experiences of harassment, and they were published in media reports, the letter added.

“Ironically, this coincided with ABVP making a public spectacle of this case on campus through class campaigns and demonstrations outside departments and at Sabmarti dhaba,” the letter said.

Not a political issue, say complainants

The complainants have reiterated that they condemn ABVP’s attempt to make this a ‘political issue’, when in fact “it is an issue of women's safety and sexual harassment through misuse of authority.”

“This is an issue of women's security, freedom, rights, and bodily autonomy. This is an issue of not tolerating sexual harassment on university campuses through misuse of power and authority. ABVP's politicisation of this issue completely takes the focus away from these important issues,” the complainant's letter adds.

JNU's internal committee held an inquiry into the allegations of sexual harassment against the professor and, based on its findings, the professor was dismissed from the university’s services with immediate effect.