#MeToo: Uttarakhand BJP general secretary Sanjay Kumar sacked over sexual harassment charges

Sanjay Kumar, Uttarakhand BJP general secretary, has been accused of sexual harassment by a woman.

Uttarakhand BJP office

DEHRADUN: After former Union Minister MJ Akbar, another senior-level BJP leader has been accused of sexual harassment by a woman following which the party has removed him from his post.

According to ANI, the BJP central leadership on Sunday removed Sanjay Kumar - party's  General Secretary in Uttarakhand - from his post after a woman party worker accused him of sexual harassment.

BJP removes its Uttarakhand General Secretary Sanjay Kumar from his post after a woman party worker accuses him of sexual harassment. pic.twitter.com/LXfmb1iHhC

— ANI (@ANI) November 4, 2018

The action against Kumar was taken as the central leadership of the party is highly concerned about the image of the party after the allegations surfaced.

The charges of sexual harassment against Kumar were discussed during a meeting during which it was suggested that he should be immediately removed from his post.

The decision taken by the BJP top brass was conveyed to the state unit leaders in Uttrakhand.

After Kumar was accused of sexual harassment, severe protests had erupted in Uttarakhand. 

The BJP high command had summoned Kumar to New Delhi over the issue. 

When he reached Delhi, Kumar was apprised of the decision taken by the BJP top brass. 

The party will soon announce a new general secretary for Uttarakhand.

Former minister MJ Akbar had resigned from the Union Council of Ministers on October 17 after being accused by journalist Priya Ramani of sexual harassment during his tenure as a newspaper editor.   

His name cropped up on the social media when he was in Nigeria, as the #MeToo campaign raged on in India. 

Multiple women have come out with accounts of alleged sexual harassment by him when he was a journalist.

Akbar had termed the allegations "false, fabricated and deeply distressing" and said he was taking appropriate legal action against them.