DCW chief seeks ouster of Sajid Khan from Bigg Boss over #MeToo row
The first episode of Bigg Boss' 16th season aired on October 1. The show is hosted by actor Salman Khan.
The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Monday wrote to information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur, requesting that filmmaker, Sajid Khan, be removed from reality show Bigg Boss over sexual harassment allegations raised against him during the #MeToo movement.
"Ten women had accused Sajid Khan of sexual harassment during the #MeToo movement. All these complaints show the disgusting mentality of Sajid. Now, this man has been given a place in Bigg Boss, which is wrong. I have written to @ianuragthakur to have Sajid Khan removed from this show," Maliwal said in a tweet in Hindi on Monday.
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In her letter to Thakur, the DCW chief said it is unfortunate that Khan is participating as a housemate in the new season of the reality show.
"As the complaints against him reveal, it appears that Khan has acted as a sexual predator for a long time. Clearly, it is inappropriate for an alleged sexual offender such as Sajid Khan to be included in a primetime show which is watched by adults and children alike.
"This apparently gives him an undue opportunity to whitewash his wrongs and be re-launched amongst Indian audiences," she said.
While there is a public uproar over Khan's participation in the show, Maliwal said the show's producers are refusing to remove him since the resulting controversy increases TRP ratings and viewership.
"The allegations against Sajid Khan are extremely serious in nature and should be investigated at the earliest. Under no circumstances such alleged sexual offenders should be promoted on national television and OTT platforms," she said.
According to Maliwal, Khan's inclusion in the programme shows that men with influence in the entertainment sector can easily get away with abusive behaviour without consequences.
"It also disrespects and invalidates those women who spoke out against his inappropriate sexual advances. They are upcoming celebrities in Bollywood and risked their careers to come forward and complain against abuse by an authority figure," she said.
The Indian Film and Television Directors' Association (IFTDA) had suspended Sajid Khan for a year in 2018, after several women accused him of sexual harassment. He also had to resign as director of "Housefull 4" earlier that year and was replaced by Farhad Samji.
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The first episode of Bigg Boss' 16th season aired on October 1. The show is hosted by actor Salman Khan.
(With inputs from agencies)
