Akoijam, the Congress MP facing removal from Jawaharlal Nehru University over sexual harassment allegations, told reporters on Friday that his team was preparing a legal challenge to that decision — one he expected to be filed within a day or two — while supporters in Manipur continued to stand behind him even as the BJP maintained its calls for his resignation.

Back in Imphal after meeting with investigators at the Vasant Kunj North Police Station in Delhi, Akoijam addressed the people of Manipur, urging them to remain calm. Legal action is being readied for filing, though the approach calls for considerable care. The delay, he explained, stemmed from the team's deliberate pace — a reflection of how exposed the institutions in question currently are — with a formal challenge expected to be lodged within the next day or two.

Akoijam indicated he would cooperate with investigators, while calling on journalists to direct their attention to the situation of displaced residents, the breakdown of order across the state, disputes over buffer zones, and what he characterised as the gradual acceptance of conditions that ought to be considered abnormal — adding that large numbers of people remained confined to relief camps. His own difficulties, he noted, were not greater than the burdens others nearby had faced. He contended that the move was designed to suppress his ability to speak out.

A march through Imphal on Friday, led by the BJP's youth wing in Manipur, put forward two demands: that Akoijam vacate his position, and that JNU students who have lodged sexual harassment complaints against him receive fair consideration of their cases. Two days before the march took place, those aligned with him had voiced objections to the BJP's position on the matter.

BJYM members advanced toward the entrance of Congress Bhavan, where Congress workers stationed inside held their ground against the approaching group. Members of the latter group called out "Shame, shame BJP," after which officers restored order at the scene. The group's members called on Akoijam to step down and allow legal proceedings to unfold without interference.

The opposition party alleged that the BJP, currently in government, was attempting to draw focus away from the unrest persisting in Manipur, with party representatives asserting that residents of the state stood behind MP Bimol Akoijam. People across Manipur, the party stated, form the foundation on which he draws his support. A ruling on the matter is expected in the near term.

N Popilal, identified as a Youth Congress leader, told those present that the group intended to raise chants of truth and victory. Support for Akoijam extended to the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), which added its endorsement to his candidacy.

Following an inquiry into the allegations levelled against him, Akoijam — who held a faculty post at JNU's Centre for the Study of Social Systems within the School of Social Sciences — had his employment terminated on 9 October. A formal complaint lodged by JNU's chief security officer prompted Delhi Police to open a case against him, with the filing dated 11 October.