Suparna Sharma, the resident editor of The Asian Age slammed MJ Akbar and his wife for their response to Pallavi Gogoi’s allegations of rape against the former minister.
Calling out Akbar, Sharma said that there was a “pattern” to which Akbar stuck to. Both when making sexually unwanted advances and now, while trying to deny these allegations.
#MJAkbar had a pattern then, in the way he preyed on & sexually abused and assaulted women, and he has a pattern now, in the way he is reacting to #MeToo allegations against him. In @priyaramani’s case he conveniently ignored his own creepy behaviour as narrated by her and…
— Suparna Sharma (@SuparnaSharma) November 2, 2018
decided to pick out just 1 phrase — “he ‘did’ nothing” — and go after her. The journalist in him would not have missed the obvious sarcasm in that phrase, yet he chose to ignore it. In @pgogoi’s case too he’s doing the same…
— Suparna Sharma (@SuparnaSharma) November 2, 2018
He’s ignoring the fact that he was the boss preying on a junior, he’s ignoring their massive age gap, he’s conveniently ignoring incidents she has narrated, often witnessed by others, of how he manipulated her to be alone and vulnerable by sending her off…
— Suparna Sharma (@SuparnaSharma) November 2, 2018
to other cities on assignments and then going there himself & assaulting her, of breaking her spirit, and the horrific incidents of physical assault. The power equation between them never changed. All lines were crossed by him.The crimes Pallavi refers to were committed by him…
— Suparna Sharma (@SuparnaSharma) November 2, 2018
But I am not surprised by @mjakbar’s statement. It’s an assertion, yet again, of male privilege & impunity, this time endorsed by his wife. While I have only fond memories of MrsAkbar, I would like 2 ask her what exactly is the “haunted look of victims” she was looking for?…
— Suparna Sharma (@SuparnaSharma) November 2, 2018
By her own account, MrsAkbar states that she was a victim too in her marriage, bt I don’t recall her ever “carrying the haunted look” of a victim. MrsAkbar writes that “PallaviGogoi caused unhappiness and discord in our home”. Really? A 24yrold girl & nt her 44 yr old husband…
— Suparna Sharma (@SuparnaSharma) November 2, 2018
who hd been an MP? And when she talks of @pgogoi & @TushitaPatel “happily drinking&dining with us”, 2 insinuate that all ws cordial btw MJAkbar & them,she shd also explain y she continued 2 invite&dine with the girl who had,as she says,caused “unhappiness&discord” in her home?…
— Suparna Sharma (@SuparnaSharma) November 2, 2018
MrsAkbar begins her statement by saying that she hs bn silent since the “#MeToo campaign ws unleashed” against her husband.That’s nt true. Like many of us, she too has been silent for years.I hope, respectfully, that the #MeToo movement empowers her as well, to call #MJAkbar out.
— Suparna Sharma (@SuparnaSharma) November 2, 2018
Also Read: #MeToo: Pallavi Gogoi Maintains Stand, Says MJ Akbar ‘Just Like Other Serial Sexual Abusers’