Union minister Maneka Gandhi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Friday strongly backed women who narrated their experiences of sexual misconduct and more as the #MeToo floodgates opened wider with high-profile directors Sajid Khan, Subhash Ghai and Luv Ranjan the latest to be 'outed'.
While big Bollywood projects 'Housefull 4' and 'Mogul' faced an uncertain future with their stars saying they would not work with those accused of sexual harassment, Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said she plans to set up a panel of legal experts to look into the allegations.
She also asserted that she believes in the "pain and trauma" of every complainant. The Congress president said the truth needs to be told "loud and clear in order to bring about change". "It's about time everyone learns to treat women with respect and dignity. I'm glad the space for those who don't, is closing," Rahul Gandhi said in his first comments on the #MeToo movement. Neither of the two Gandhis spoke on the multiple allegations against Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar, who has been accused by several former women colleagues of sexual harassment when he served as editor at various media organisations.
Providing details on the proposed committee, Maneka Gandhi, in an interview to Doordarshan News, said that “for many years” there was a burden on women, that even if they were “humiliated” verbally or by touch, “the woman never used to speak up, even if she was 80 years old”. But now, they have “found the strength”. The committee, she said, will include four retired judges and a”strong lawyer as an amicus” and will “conduct independent hearings”.
She also asserted that she believes in the "pain and trauma" of every complainant. The Congress president said the truth needs to be told "loud and clear in order to bring about change". "It's about time everyone learns to treat women with respect and dignity. I'm glad the space for those who don't, is closing," Rahul Gandhi said in his first comments on the #MeToo movement. Neither of the two Gandhis spoke on the multiple allegations against Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar, who has been accused by several former women colleagues of sexual harassment when he served as editor at various media organisations.
Providing details on the proposed committee, Maneka Gandhi, in an interview to Doordarshan News, said that “for many years” there was a burden on women, that even if they were “humiliated” verbally or by touch, “the woman never used to speak up, even if she was 80 years old”. But now, they have “found the strength”. The committee, she said, will include four retired judges and a”strong lawyer as an amicus” and will “conduct independent hearings”.