NEW DELHI (AP) — India's junior external affairs minister has resigned amid accusations by at least 15 women of sexual harassment during his previous career as a news editor.
Minister M.J. Akbar resigned from the government on Wednesday, saying in a statement that he would "challenge false accusations" in a personal capacity.
Akbar filed a criminal case against journalist Priya Ramani, the first woman to accuse him of harassment, on Monday. Twenty other women signed a statement offering to give their own court testimonies against him.
Akbar joined the government in July 2016 after a lengthy career as a newspaper editor in Kolkata and New Delhi.
In recent weeks, Indian actresses and writers have flooded social media with allegations of sexual harassment and assault by their superiors and colleagues.
Disclaimer: This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Associated Press (AP) wire.
