 "Akbar should speak up, his silence would mean that charges are true: Cong")
The Congress on Friday demanded that Union minister M J Akbar should come clean on the allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him and said his silence would mean that the charges are true.
As the #MeToo movement gathered pace over the last fortnight, the Union minister of state for external affairs has been accused by several former women colleagues of sexual harassment when he served as editor at various media organisations.
"The minister who is facing allegations (of sexual harassment) should come forward and speak out whether the allegations against him are wrong or right, so that you all (journalists) and society (can) draw a conclusion," Surjewala told reporters here.
"If he does not reply or does not want to reply, it will be clear that the ordeals (narrated by the women who have levelled the allegations) are true," he added.
"Such a person should resign," the Congress spokesperson said.
Surjewala said his party's stand has been that the women who have spoken out and narrated their ordeals before the country should be heard seriously.
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"Now the ball is in the court of (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi's government," he added.
Earlier on Friday, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi came out in support of the #MeToo movement, saying it is time for the truth to be told "loud and clear".
He, however, did not comment on the allegations against Akbar.