India minister denies misconduct after #MeToo accusations

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NEW DELHI: India’s junior external affairs minister has denied any wrongdoing after more than a dozen female journalists accused him of sexual misconduct when he was a newspaper editor.

Press Trust of India news agency reported that M.J. Akbar threatened to take legal action against the women, calling the allegations “false, baseless and wild” on Sunday, hours after he returned from an official trip to Africa.

It’s the first time Akbar has reacted publicly to the string of accusations against him amid calls from journalists and opposition politicians for him to resign.

Since last month, several Indian actresses and writers have taken to social media with allegations of sexual harassment and assault by their superiors and colleagues, mainly at workplaces.