NWMI Protests Against Inclusion of M.J. Akbar in Operation Sindoor All-Party Delegation
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Journalist and former junior minister of external affairs M.J. Akbar was accused of sexual harassment by multiple women in the course of the #MeToo movement in 2018. He had resigned from his position in the government in the immediate aftermath. In 2021, he lost a defamation case against one of the women, a journalist, who had accused him of sexual harassment in what was seen to be a fillip for the movement. Akbar was recently named in the all-party delegation for India's international engagement after Operation Sindoor.>
The following is a short statement by the Network of Women in Media, India, against the decision.>
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The Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI), strongly protests the inclusion of MJ Akbar in the all-party delegation for international engagement in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor launched on 7 May 2025. MJ Akbar has been accused by multiple women, most of them journalists, of sexual harassment. We believe his presence in the delegation undermines the values India seeks to project abroad.>
Operation Sindoor has been pitched as a mission to protect the honour and dignity of Indian women. It was launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack on 22 April 2025, which left several women widowed. The Operation was presented not only as a military response but as a tribute to the resilience of Indian women. In light of this framing, the inclusion in such a delegation of a figure like MJ Akbar, with a history of serious allegations of sexual harassment, risks sending a regressive signal to survivors of sexual harassment and diminishes India's credibility on issues of gender justice.>
Many women journalists who said they had been subjected to predatory behaviour, sexual harassment and/or assault by MJ Akbar over the years, spoke out during India's #MeToo movement around 2018, with at least 20 women ready to testify against him . These allegations are detailed, and have been widely reported and acknowledged, with Akbar losing a defamation case he filed against one of his accusers. The court's verdict in that case in February 2021 was hailed as a landmark for women's rights and workplace safety in India.>
We urge the withdrawal of MJ Akbar from this delegation, to ensure that India's representatives truly reflect the values of dignity, respect, and justice for women.
The Network of Women in Media, India
May 18, 2025
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