New Delhi: On October 19, the Network of Women in Media, India, in reaction to a programme recorded by Vinod Dua for The Wire as part of his show ‘Jan Gan Man Ki Baat’, released a statement condemning the fact that Dua had been allowed to use the platform to defend himself against allegations of sexual harassment made by filmmaker Nishtha Jain.
In the statement, NWMI questioned The Wire‘s decision to let Dua use the episode ‘Jan Gan Man Ki Baat: Rafale Deal and Rising Fuel Prices’ to “malign the #MeToo movement and mock the allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him as ‘muck’.”
Also read: Statement: The Wire’s Handling of the Sexual Harassment Charge Against Vinod Dua
The video, the statement said, was later edited to remove his introductory statement mocking the #MeToo movement. In it, Dua had said that the media was losing focus on ‘real issues’ and instead of focusing on the Narendra Modi government as elections inch closer, the media is instead preoccupied with stories of “who sexually harassed whom how many years ago”.
“NWMI stands in absolute solidarity with all the women who have chosen to speak out, knowing fully the disruption and negative attention that this would bring into their lives,” the statement reads.
Also read: Filmmaker Accuses Vinod Dua of Sexually Harassing, Stalking Her in 1989 Incident
“We, at NWMI, urge The Wire to not indulge in shaming the victim. The complainant should be given sufficient time to make her complaint and present her case to The Wire‘s external committee. In the meantime, The Wire should desist from allowing the accused its platform to belittle her allegations”
On October 14, Jain had accused Dua of an incident of sexual harassment and stalking that occurred in 1989.
Dua has said that he categorically denies the allegations levelled against him. “If mud is thrown at a person, what option does he have other than to protest his innocence,” he said. Dua also said that he would be suspending ‘Jan Gan Man ki Baat’ to give The Wire time to look into Jain’s charges. The Wire has since announced the setting up of an external committee comprising five eminent citizens to investigate the matter.
Also read: #MeToo: Panel Headed by Former SC Justice Aftab Alam to Examine Allegation Against Vinod Dua
The panel will be headed by former SC Justice Aftab Alam and the other members of the committee include Justice Anjana Prakash, Prof Neera Chandhoke, Prof Patricia Uberoi and Ambassador Sujatha Singh.
“It is odd, to say the least, that while The Wire has said it will be constituting an external committee to look at the allegations dispassionately, Dua has been allowed to use The Wire as a platform to arrogantly dismiss the allegations, call them a figment of someone’s imagination and pronounce himself innocent, while setting a time limit of a week for any investigation,” the NWMI said.
The external committee was announced by The Wire on October 17, a day after Dua recorded his programme. It received Ms Jain’s consent on October 19.
Saying that since the external investigation The Wire has set up to look in to Ms Jain’s allegations had now formally begun its work, The Wire announced on Saturday that:
- Vinod Dua’s program, ‘Jan Gan Man ki Baat’, will not be aired until the conclusion of the committee’s work.
- The recording Mr Dua made at the end of the last episode of ‘Jan Gan Man ki Baat’ in which he responded to Ms Jain’s allegation is no longer available on The Wire’s platforms. Instead, The Wire’s report on Ms Jain’s charges has been edited to incorporate Mr Dua’s denial.
- The Wire will not carry any statement or comment by either party or anybody else on the subject matter of the allegations until termination of the inquiry proceedings with the report and/or recommendations of the Committee, whose members are of unimpeachable integrity and impartiality.