Smriti Irani Reacts to #MeToo Battle Between Anurag Kashyap And Payal Ghosh, Read on

Union Minister Smriti Irani, who also oversees the National Commission For Women, comments on sexual harassment allegations against Anurag Kashyap.

Union Minister Smriti Irani reacted to the ongoing #MeToo battle between filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and actor Payal Ghosh. The BJP leader also oversees the National Commission for Women (NCW) that has extended its support to the actor after she accused Kashyap of sexually harassing her at his house in 2015.

Talking to Republic TV, Irani said that the NCW has already made a statement in the media regarding its stand on the issue, and therefore, it will be unfair on her part to issue another statement. She said, “I am in a Constitutional position that oversees the National Commission for Women. NCW has made a public statement, hence it will be inappropriate for me to digress and get into their constitutional area about how they want to go ahead with a particular case.”

NCW chief Rekha Sharma, in her official statement to news agency ANI on Sunday, said, “Last night I saw a tweet from Payal Ghosh where she alleged that Anurag Kashyap sexually harassed her in 2015. In its reply, I said that she has to send me a complaint after which we’ll look into the matter & will take it up with the police.”

Kashyap has received wide support from the film industry against Payal’s allegations. He has denied the allegations twice, first in a Twitter thread on Sunday, and then in an official statement released through his lawyer on Monday morning. Explaining the allegations, the actor told the media that she was made to feel uncomfortable by Kashyap when she went to his place seeking work. Payal found support in actor Kangana Ranaut who tweeted to alleged that Kashyap was ‘capable of doing’ such things.

Meanwhile, Taapsee Pannu, Richa Chadha, Radhika Apte, Nikhil Dwivedi, and Kashyap’s ex-wives Kalki Koechlin and Aarti Bajaj have spoken out in his support on social media.