New Delhi: Strongly criticising the #MeToo campaign, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Member of Parliament (MP) Udit Raj on Tuesday said every case should be examined individually, as there are some women who level allegations for the sake of money.
“This (#MeToo) should be looked after case by case. I have seen cases where it has become a habit of women to put allegations over a man, take Rs 2-4 lakhs and then look for another. There are honey-trap cases too,” Raj was quoted by newswire ANI.
He further reiterated that all cases should not be seen as one, ” I accept that men do have such nature, but are all women perfect? I am saying it again that if somebody has exploited a woman then shot him – shoot at sight. I have said this on SC/ST Act too. But all such cases shouldn’t be seen as one.”
The BJP lawmaker further claimed that the movement has created a feeling of terror in India as men now avoid meeting women alone.
ALSO READ: No ‘Sanskar’ anymore? Vinta Nanda alleges rape charges on Bollywood’s ‘Babuji’
“I am not saying that casting couch and exploitation does not happen. We should see that the #MeToo campaign is helping people, but it has disadvantages too. Men have economic power, they have political power. Whether they are politicians or authorities, men now avoid meeting women alone. Why do they do so? This has created a feeling of terror,” he said.
Meanwhile, in another shocking turn of events, allegations of sexual harassment have surfaced against union minister and former journalist MJ Akbar.
At least four women alleged the minister of state for external affairs of sexual harassment. He was first called out by journalist Priya Ramani, who had last year written about his alleged inappropriate behaviour for a magazine without taking his name. She has now confirmed in a tweet that the allegation was against Akbar.
I began this piece with my MJ Akbar story. Never named him because he didn’t “do” anything. Lots of women have worse stories about this predator—maybe they’ll share. #ulti https://t.co/5jVU5WHHo7
— Priya Ramani (@priyaramani) October 8, 2018
Akbar, who has been the editor of prominent newspapers like The Telegraph, Asian Age and The Sunday Guardian, is a member of the Rajya Sabha from the BJP.
The Me Too movement gets a milage in Indian after multiple women from different fields have accused several men of sexual misconduct and sexual harassment – most talked about in recent past being actor Tanushree Dutta’s sexual misconduct allegations against actor Nana Patekar during the shooting of ‘Horn Ok Pleassss’ in 2008.