Two Days after minister of state for external affairs M.J. Akbar described the allegations of sexual harassment against him as lies and launched a defamation case against journalist Priya Ramani,19 former and current employees of The Asain Age on Tuesday have come out in support of ramani.
These Journalists have urged Delhi’s Patiala house court, where Akbar has field his defamation case to “consider some of their testimonies about their experience at his hands.” by specking up, Ramani had “lifted the lid on the culture of casual misogyny , entitlement and sexual predation” that akbar engendered and preside over at The Asian Age, the statement said.
“What Mr Akbar has demonstrated through his legal actions is his refusal to introspect, acknowledge or atone for his actions that have caused immense pain and indeed harm to many many women over the years,” the journalists said in their statement. “He himself, in the meanwhile, continues to enjoy enormous power and privilege as minister and Member of Parliament.”
On Tuesday the signatory journalists who joined the fight for justice by petitioning the court included Meenal Baghel, Manisha Pande, Tushita Patel, Kanika Gahlaut, Suparna Sharma, Ramola Talwar Badam, Kaniza Gazari, Malavika Banerjee, A.T. Jayanthi, Hamida Parkar, Jonali Buragohain, Sanjari Chatterjee Meenakshi Kumar, Sujata Dutta Sachdeva, Hoihnu Hauzel, Reshmi Chakraborty, Kushalrani Gulab, Aisha Khan and Kiran Manral.
Of the 19 journalists, only three – Suparna Sharma, Gahlaut and Tushita Patel – had already spoken about harassment by Akbar.
