Akbar's decision to step down is right: Ramdas Athawale
New Delhi, Oct 17 : Union Minister Ramdas Athawale Wednesday termed the resignation of Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar as the "right decision" and said allegations against him should be "properly investigated".
The 67-year-old journalist-turned-politician had stepped down earlier in the day due to mounting pressure following a spate of allegations of sexual harassment against him by several women scribes, who welcomed his resignation as a "vindication".
Athawale, who is the minister of state for social justice and empowerment in the Narendra Modi government, said the opposition was also demanding Akbar's resignation.
"Opposition was demanding his resignation. The decision M J Akbar has taken is right," Athawale, whose Republican Party of India is an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government said.
"The allegations levelled against him should be properly investigated," he added.
Akbar's sudden announcement to quit came a day before the court hearing of a criminal defamation complaint filed by him against Priya Ramani, a journalist who has accused him of sexual misconduct around 20 years ago.
In a brief statement, Akbar said he has decided to seek justice in a court of law in his personal capacity.
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Iran warns of ‘uncontrollable consequences’ after energy site strike
Qatar warns residents of ‘Elavated’ threat
Tehran/Doha: Iran’s President Massoud Pezeshkian has warned that attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure could lead to “uncontrollable consequences” affecting the entire world.
In a post on X, Pezeshkian said he “strongly condemns” the strikes that targeted the South Pars gasfield earlier in the day.
“Such aggressive actions will not achieve anything for the American Zionist enemy and their supporters. Rather, they will complicate the situation and could lead to uncontrollable consequences that will affect the entire world,” he said.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s Ministry of Interior has urged residents to remain indoors due to what it described as an elevated security threat.
Authorities have not provided further details, but the advisory comes amid growing concerns over the safety of energy infrastructure and civilian areas in the region.
