Workers and leaders of the Mahila Morcha, the women’s wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party, staged a protest in Shivamogga on Tuesday against the Congress, alleging that the party was giving political patronage to its MP and former Jawaharlal Nehru University professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam.

The protesters staged a dharna at Gopi Circle and shouted slogans against the Congress. They alleged that Mr. Akoijam had sexually harassed students while working at JNU and had been dismissed by the university following complaints. However, they alleged, Congress leaders had not spoken about the incident.

The protesters later marched towards the office of the District Congress Committee, intending to picket it. The police intervened, stopped them from reaching the office, and detained them. The BJP workers took exception to the police action.

BJP district president N.K. Jagadish, women’s wing district president Madhura Shivanand, and general secretaries Veena Nagaraj and Sumalatha Bhupalam were among those who took part in the protest.