Not aware of any meeting between Sushma, Akbar on allegations against him: MEA

October 18, 2018 18:59

M J Akbar attended official meetings on Monday and Tuesday as the junior external affairs minister after returning from a trip abroad, the ministry said on Thursday, in first comments on the issue.

At a press conference, MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, replying to a question, said he was not aware of any specific meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Akbar on the allegations levelled against him.

Akbar, a former journalist, stepped down on Wednesday in the face of mounting pressure following a spate of allegations of sexual harassment against him by several women journalists.

He was on a trip to Africa when the allegations of sexual harassment surfaced against him as part of the #MeToo movement in India.

Hours after returning home on Sunday, he issued a statement trashing the allegations. However, he quit following increasing pressure on him as more women came out with accounts of alleged sexual harassment by him.

Asked whether it was his own decision to quit or whether Swaraj or Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent any communication to him to resign, Kumar only said, "The minister has resigned. He has also issued a statement and I think beyond that I have nothing to add."

"As far as meeting is concerned, I can only share with you that since he has returned to India, there were certain officials meetings in the MEA on Monday and Tuesday. He was part of those meetings. But I am not aware of any specific meeting between the external affairs minister and the MoS on this matter," Kumar said.

He did not reply when asked whether Akbar was asked to resign.

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

What my son has done is...: Mother of K'taka murder accused

'My son did tell me about Neha and that he was in love with her and they wanted to get married. But I had suggested that he first focus on his career'

Vinesh secures women's 50kg Paris Olympics quota for India

Vinesh Phogat locked Paris Olympics quota in the women's 50kg category, reaching the final at the Asian Olympic Qualifier without conceding a single point.

Narine, probably the greatest bowler in IPL history: Gambhir

KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir rates Sunil Narine as one the greatest bowler in the history of IPL.

I am a proud Sanghi: JNU VC

'I think I have a better DNA than the Left'

TISS suspends PhD student for screening BBC docu

'Your activities are not in the interest of the nation. Being a public institution, TISS cannot permit or tolerate its students indulging in such activities which are anti-national and bring a bad name to the nation. Hence all such...