New Delhi: The US-based journalist, who has accused former minister M.J. Akbar of raping her 23 years ago, corrected her former boss that a relationship based on coercion and abuse of power can’t be consensual.
“I stand by every word in my published account,” she said about her allegation on the former editor-in-chief of The Asian Age. She rubbished the claims made by him that they had a consensual relationship when she worked at The Asian Age.
Over the past few days, while many women have come forward to accuse Mr Akbar of abuse, this is the first time that he has been accused of rape. The journalist-turned-politician had to quit as minister after over 20 women accused him of sexual misconduct when they worked with him at several newspapers.
In a tweet, Gogoi said it was not a consensual relationship. “A relation that is based on coercion and abuse of power is not consensual,” she said.
In an op-ed article for The Washington Post, Gogoi had recounted her ordeal and accused Akbar of raping her.
Meanwhile, denying the rape allegations, Akbar countered it with his version and claimed that it was consensual. He said he and Pallavi were in a “consensual relationship that spanned several months”.
