Women organisations condemn the Misogynist Bullying of Rhea Chakraborty in Justice for Sushant Singh Rajput Name
The All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA) has released a statement in support of Rhea Chakraborty, the partner of the late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who committed suicide in June this year.
AIPWA has expressed their grief over Rajput’s death and the loss of the people of Bihar, and emphasized that all progressive people in the country do want justice for Sushant and his family. But the attacks and smear-campaigns against Rhea Chakraborty by the media, before the courts have decided whether or not she is guilty, is a shameful and criminal act.
AIPWA condemned the manner in which media personnel pushed and shoved Rhea Chakraborty on September 6 while she was arriving at the Narcotics Control Bureau, and asked for action to be taken against those who did this. AIPWA appealed to the media to stop its media trial and interfering with the legal process, as it is doing injustice to all people involved, including the memory of Sushant Singh Rajput.
Pointing out the role of government propaganda in this entire case, they wrote,
“This issue is being utilized to divert attention from burning issues like growing unemployment and economic distress in the country; in view of the forthcoming Bihar Assembly election they are trying to divert attention from the plight of migrant workers from Bihar, the distress of farmers, the rising morale and confidence of criminals in Bihar, and the spate of instances of rape and violence against women in Bihar and in India.
We should also note that just yesterday the Bihar BJP Cultural Cell stated that the Sushant Singh matter would be made an election issue for the Bihar Assembly election. It is also to be noted that the same forces which were hostile to Sushant Singh during the violent Karni Sena attacks on the Padmavat film cannot be Sushant’s well-wishers today. The truth is that they are simply trying to gain political mileage out of his death.”
AIPWA asserted that in a fair legal process, Rhea Chakraborty must be given the opportunity to present her side of the story, and investigative agencies should do their work impartially, irrespective of whether she is found guilty later. They wrote,
“The media trial is vitiating the climate to the extent that will make a free and fair process by investigative agencies and even judiciary difficult.”
In the statement issued by Meena Tiwari, Rati Rao, and Kavita Krishnan, AIPWA appealed to the courts, the National Women’s Commission, and the News Broadcasting Standards Authority to intervene strongly in this issue and stop the media’ spear campaign against Rhea, which is based on misogynist language and ideology.
Finally, remembering Sushant Singh Rajput, they wrote,
“Sushant was a sensitive and progressive-thinking young man, who would certainly not have approved of such public shaming of a woman in his name. Therefore, we appeal to all people who respect Sushant to voice their dissent against the way in which the media is acting in this matter.”
