Imphal | Supporters of Manipur Congress MP Bimol Akoijam on Wednesday staged twin protests in Imphal, marching to the state BJP headquarters and holding a sit-in outside his residence to express solidarity with the parliamentarian and demand the withdrawal of a police case registered against him over alleged sexual misconduct.

The demonstrations came amid mounting political controversy following Akoijam’s dismissal from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) after an inquiry into sexual harassment allegations and the subsequent registration of a case by Delhi Police on a complaint from university authorities.

During the march to the BJP headquarters, protesters raised slogans against state BJP president A Sharda Devi for demanding Akoijam’s resignation. Police personnel pushed the demonstrators back after they reached the headquarters gate. In a parallel demonstration, supporters gathered outside the Congress MP’s residence, condemning the registration of the case and voicing confidence in his leadership.

A social activist participating in the protest described the allegations as unjust, arguing that Akoijam had consistently raised concerns in Parliament over the violence and attacks in Manipur during the past three years. “We are staging this demonstration against all the unjust and unfair allegations against Akoijam. He is an educated person who has been raising his voice in Parliament for the last three years against the violence and attacks faced by us,” she said.

The activist also alleged that BJP members had attempted to disrupt what she described as a peaceful march, calling the incident discriminatory.

She maintained that Manipur had few representatives capable of articulating the state’s concerns effectively on national platforms and said Akoijam had emerged as one of the prominent voices highlighting the crisis. The protesters demanded that the allegations against him be dropped.

Akoijam reportedly came out of his residence to address the gathering and thank his supporters. He said he had largely refrained from commenting publicly out of respect for the legal process. The controversy has triggered sharp political reactions. BJP women MPs have announced plans to approach President Droupadi Murmu over JNU’s decision to dismiss Akoijam, intensifying the political debate surrounding the case.

Akoijam has denied the allegations and maintained that the facts should be established through legal proceedings. He has also rejected claims relating to a gathering of 11 students at his residence, saying a court would determine the facts.

The Congress MP has described the police case as a “witch-hunt”, alleging that he is being targeted for speaking out against the situation in Manipur. The protests on Wednesday underscored the political divisions surrounding the case, with supporters defending Akoijam’s public role while the allegations against him remain subject to the legal process.