Expressing disappointment at the Union minister’s claim that the sexual harassment allegations against him are political conspiracy, Ramani said that Akbar intends to silence his accusers with “intimidation and harassment”.

“I am deeply disappointed that a Union minister should dismiss the detailed allegations of several women as a political conspiracy. By instituting a case of criminal defamation against me, Mr Akbar has made his stand clear: rather than engage with the serious allegations that many women have made against him, he seeks to silence them through intimidation and harassment,” Ramani said in a statement.

“Needless to say, I am ready to fight allegations of defamation laid against me, as truth and the absolute truth is my only defence,” she added.

She said that Akbar’s statement which he issued in his defence “pays no heed to the trauma and fear of survivors or the courage required to speak truth to power”.

The journalist, who was the first to speak up against Akbar, also said that the women who have revealed their stories of harassment at the hands of the journalist-turned-politician have done so at “great risk to their personal and professional lives”.

“In the case of Mr MJ Akbar, at the time these incidents occurred, the complainant women were working for him. Those who have spoken up against Mr Akbar have done so at great risk to their personal and professional lives,” she said.

Ramani also called for an improvement in the workplace for future generations of men and women instead of casting aspersions on the intent and motives of the women who have raised their voice.

Akbar filed a criminal defamation case in a New Delhi court on Monday against Ramani.

The case was filed before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in Patiala House Court. It is not clear why the case has been filed only against Ramani.

Akbar, who returned from an official tour of Nigeria on Sunday, had issued a statement claiming that the allegations against him are “false and fabricated”.

“The allegations of misconduct made against me are false and fabricated, spiced up by innuendo and malice. I could not reply earlier as I was on an official tour abroad,” he said in a statement issued shortly after arriving in New Delhi.

Akbar, who was a reputed journalist before he joined politics, had said on Sunday that he will take legal action against the accusers adding that his lawyers will look into the “wild and baseless allegations”.