‘Bigg Boss 16’: DCW chief writes to Union Minister Anurag Thakur, seeks removal of Sajid Khan from show

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has written a letter to Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur, seeking the ouster of filmmaker Sajid Khan from reality show ‘Bigg Boss 16’. Several allegations of sexual harassment were levelled against the filmmaker during the #MeToo movement.

Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal took to Twitter on Monday and in a tweet in Hindi, she wrote, ‘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.’

In her letter, Maliwal also said, ‘Sajid Khan's inclusion in the show underlines the precedence that men who enjoy clout in the entertainment industry easily get away with abusive acts without facing any consequences. It also disrespects and invalidates those women who spoke out against his inappropriate sexual advances. I demand that Sajid Khan should be barred from participating in the upcoming reality show and an investigation should be conducted against him.

Sajid Khan entered the ‘Bigg Boss’ house on October 1. He is one of the 17 contestants on the reality show, which is hosted by actor Salman Khan.

Following the allegations of sexual harassment in 2018, Sajid was suspended for a year by the Indian Film and Television Directors' Association (IFTDA). That year, he also stepped down as director of ‘Housefull 4’ and was replaced by Farhad Samji.

Many celebrities, including Sona Mohapatra and Devoleena Bhattacharjee, have spoken up against Sajid Khan's entry into the ‘Bigg Boss’ house.

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