NSUI president resigns after being accused of sexual harassment

The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) president Fairoz Khan has stepped down from his post following charges of sexual harassment, sources in the Congress said Tuesday.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi accepted his resignation, the sources told news agency PTI.

Khan, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir, submitted his resignation on Monday.

An internal panel was set up to probe allegations Khan, which submitted its report on Friday.

An NSUI office bearer from Chhattisgarh had in June this year levelled charges of sexual harassment against Khan following which the Congress leadership formed a panel to probe the allegations. She had also filed a police complaint against Khan.

The committee comprised All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev, Lok Sabha member Deepender Hooda and the party’s national media panelist Ragini Nayak.

The woman had alleged that Khan “used to sexually harass young women” for political appointments in the NSUI, the students’ wing of the Congress.

The Congress leadership will examine the report and take a call on Khan’s continuation in the post, the functionary said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi said the party had immediately formed the committee, which heard all sections while preparing the report.