Maneka Gandhi backs Tanushree Dutta, says harassment of any kind will not be tolerated

Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi on Tuesday came out in support of actor Tanushree Dutta – who accused veteran actor Nana Patekar of sexual misconduct – saying that "harassment of any kind will not be tolerated."

In a recent TV interview, Tanushree Dutta had claimed that Nana Patekar had misbehaved with her on the sets of “Horn Ok Pleassss” in 2008. During the interview, she also alleged that the actor had the tacit support of the film's makers.

"We should start something like #MeTooIndia campaign, wherein whoever has ever been harassed should write to our campaign and we should investigate," Maneka Gandhi told reporters.

The Union minister also said for the first time, the national commission of women is going into every complaint it gets. “And we have solved several thousand cases."

Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated. We were the first govt to start 'SHe Box' on social media & women who wrote to us saying they are harassed, we took action immediately: Union Minister Maneka Gandhi #TanushreeDutta pic.twitter.com/3sYDqVr52b

— ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2018

I feel we should also start something called 'Me Too India' in which any woman who has been harassed at any point should write to us&we should investigate. For the first time NCW is going into every case complained to us&we go in detail: Union Min Maneka Gandhi #TanushreeDutta pic.twitter.com/iCcleMc4ew

— ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2018

Many Bollywood stars, including Farhan Akhtar, Priyanka Chopra, Twinkle Khanna, Swara Bhasker, Anurag Kashyap, Richa Chadha, Parineeti Chopra and Hansal Mehta, have come out in support of Tanushree.

The allegations made by the actor are being seen as Bollywood's #MeToo moment.

On Tuesday, Cine and TV Artists Association (CINTAA) said it did not "address" Tanushree's sexual harassment allegation, but it extends support to the actor now.Dutta had filed a complaint with CINTAA a decade ago. The actor has alleged the organisation did not pay heed to her complaint.In a fresh statement, the CINTAA said it "strongly condemns any act that outrages the modesty of any individual and any form of sexual harassment is unacceptable to us."  

"After going through Ms Tanushree Dutta's complaint, which was filed with the then Executive Committee of CINTAA in March 2008, we feel that the decision taken in the Joint Dispute Settlement Committee of CINTAA & IFTPC (then known as AMPTPP) in July 2008 was not appropriate, as the chief grievance of sexual harassment wasn't even addressed."

Meanwhile, Tanushree has claimed that Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has threatened her of another violent attack. “MNS party in an interview given to a leading daily has threatened me with a violent attack. This on top of other threats issued to me from Nana's side...I would like to thank Mumbai police force for coming forward to protect me & helping me strengthen my resolve,” the 34-year-old actress told ANI.