BJP demands Kerala Film Minister Saji Cherian step down for sitting on report about actresses’ exploitation

Thiruvananthapuram: A day after the Justice Hema Committee report on the working condition of women in the Malayalam industry and their sexual exploitation was released, veteran BJP leader and former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan on Tuesday demanded that Minister for Films Saji Cherian step down for “shielding” those who tormented the actresses.

The Justice Hema (retd) report, submitted in 2019, was finally released after the Pinarayi Vijayan government kept it in cold storage for the past five years.

Muraleedharan said the Vijayan government has committed a cardinal mistake by shielding the accused by keeping the report under wraps for the past five years.

“The crimes that have been committed include cases which can be booked under the Pocso Act and yet the government kept mum. This is a gross criminal act and a violation of the oath taken by Cherian and hence he has to resign. The government was hiding under the provisions of the Right to Information Act. The report was received by the then state Minister of Films A.K. Balan who is also guilty of shielding the accused,” he said.

“We are all waiting to hear the views of the women activists within the film industry and those who work outside. Not long ago, the CPI-M-led government had created an all-women ‘wall’ to highlight the rights of women. Please do not think people are fools,” Muraleedharan added.

State BJP President K. Surendran said the Vijayan government has to apologise to the people for keeping the report secret.

“The Vijayan government has to act on the report and the delay of five years is yet another example of the Left’s attitude towards women. Instead of taking action against the accused, they are ‘travelling’ with them and leaving the victims in a quandary,” he said.

“The Vijayan government has to ensure that film shooting locations are turned into women-friendly places and for this, the state government has to act fast. The Vijayan government which was protecting the accused has to come to the help of the victims as that’s the duty of a government. Vijayan should come clean on why things were hidden,” he added.

–IANS