Minister MJ Akbar Named In #MeToo
NEW DELHI: Union Minister and former editor MJ Akbar has been accused of sexual harassment in the snowballing #MeToo movement in India that began with a thread on Twitter. His boss Sushma Swaraj, the Union Foreign Minister, did not respond when she was asked today about any action against the minister.
"There are serious allegations...these are sexual harassment allegations. You are a woman minister in charge. Will there be a probe on the allegations," Tribune reporter Smita Sharma questioned Ms Swaraj. The minister walked past without a word.
MJ Akbar is believed to be in Nigeria.
A veteran journalist and junior foreign minister, MJ Akbar was named in a tweet by journalist Priya Ramani, who had first shared her account a year ago when the #MeToo campaign exploded in the US with the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
I began this piece with my MJ Akbar story. Never named him because he didn’t “do” anything. Lots of women have worse stories about this predator—maybe they’ll share. #ulti https://t.co/5jVU5WHHo7
— Priya Ramani (@priyaramani) October 8, 2018
Priya Ramani named him as the editor she had written about in a magazine article in October last year.
Priya Ramani had not named MJ Akbar when she wrote in the Vogue India article - addressed to "Dear Male Boss" - about her experience after she was invited by him to a plush Mumbai hotel for an interview. He allegedly called her to his room, offered her a drink and asked her to sit close to him.
"We'll get you all one day," was Ms Ramani's parting shot in the article titled "To the Harvey Weinsteins of the world".
Harvey Weinstein, an Oscar-winning film producer, has been accused by multiple women of sexual harassment and assault.
courtesy : ndtv.com
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
