Controversy Over Bimol Akoijam’s Removal as JNU Professor; Global Manipur Federation Backs MP, Sharda Devi Alleges Harassment of Women by His Supporters

The controversy surrounding the removal of Manipur Lok Sabha MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam from his position as a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has taken a political turn, with the Global Manipur Federation (GMF) expressing solidarity with the MP and raising concerns over alleged procedural irregularities. Meanwhile, Manipur BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP A. Sharda Devi has accused Akoijam’s supporters of mistreating women. She made the allegations on Tuesday after a delegation of BJP women leaders met President Droupadi Murmu in Delhi.
In a statement, the GMF said serious questions had arisen over whether the prescribed rules and procedures were followed in the decision to remove Akoijam from his position. The federation expressed concern that the developments could undermine the MP’s work and discourage the growing public aspiration for change in Manipur.
The organisation also warned that the political exchanges surrounding Akoijam could divert public attention from Manipur’s continuing violence, humanitarian crisis and the suffering of ordinary people. It called for a more rational and responsible political discourse, stressing that the state’s pressing challenges should remain at the centre of public and media attention.
The GMF urged the JNU administration and its governing bodies to ensure strict compliance with statutory provisions, institutional rules and due process while dealing with the matter.
The federation specifically referred to Section 16 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, which provides for confidentiality regarding the identities of complainants and respondents, as well as details of complaints, inquiries and related proceedings.
The GMF also cited criticism by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA), which has alleged that prescribed legal and institutional procedures were bypassed in the matter. According to the teachers’ association, Statute 30 of the JNU Act vests the authority to dismiss faculty members in the university’s Executive Council, raising questions over whether the vice-chancellor could take such a decision unilaterally.
The federation cautioned that the controversy could have wider implications by shifting public attention away from Manipur’s continuing violence, humanitarian concerns and protests across the country. It maintained that the state’s broader crisis should not be overshadowed by political exchanges surrounding the MP.
Meanwhile, Sharda Devi, addressing the controversy on Tuesday, accused supporters of Akoijam of mistreating women amid the ongoing agitation in Manipur. Referring to allegations of sexual harassment involving students at a university, she questioned why those who were allegedly aware of the matter had remained silent.
“A university, an institution meant to impart moral education, has a professor engaging in such vile conduct. It is shameful,” Sharda Devi said, alleging that students had faced sexual harassment while others remained silent.
She further claimed that women had been subjected to mistreatment by people supporting Akoijam during the ongoing agitation in Manipur. “We have filed numerous FIRs there, FIRs with the police and complaints with the Cyber Crime cell,” she said.
Expressing anguish over the controversy, the BJP leader said she felt ashamed to identify herself as being from Manipur following the incident.
The allegations come amid the wider controversy over Akoijam’s removal from his position at JNU. While the BJP leader has levelled allegations against his supporters, the GMF and the JNUTA have questioned whether the prescribed procedures were followed in the university’s decision.
The allegations made by Sharda Devi against Akoijam’s supporters could not be independently verified from the information available.
The controversy has intensified political exchanges in Manipur, even as concerns persist over the state’s ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis. The GMF has reiterated the need to keep these larger challenges in focus rather than allowing the political dispute surrounding the MP to overshadow the urgent need for peace and stability.