Singer Sona Mohapatra took to Twitter to express her outrage over Sonu Nigam’s comments in support of composer and singer Anu Malik who has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women.
“So much sympathy for a millionaire losing work? So much empathy for his privileged family being ‘tortured’? How about the scores of girls & women he tortured? Multiple testimonies not proof enough?” she tweeted.
Singer Sonu Nigam has responded to Sona Mohapatra's tweets against him, saying that though she is "vomiting" on Twitter, he would like to maintain decorum.
In a statement on Thursday, the singer said, "The respectable lady vomiting on Twitter, is the wife of someone who I consider very close to me, so although she's has forgotten the relationship, I'd like to maintain the decorum."
"Only an animal will not support #MeToo movement. Women with frankness and courage, shaming their oppressors, is a refreshing sign of changing times.
"Women have been long oppressed throughout the course of history and it's high time to end this Tribal mindset of treating them like properties or trophies, and now they walk hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder with men," he added.
Mohapatra was quick to hit back at Nigam.
Talking about the accusations levelled against Anu Malik in an interview with India Today, the ‘Tanhayee’ singer was quoted as saying,
“I haven’t had enough opportunity to speak on this subject. I myself am a witness to how power is misused. I said #MeToo ten years ago, when a journalist kept harassing me. He had told a director that if he [the director] worked with me, he [the journalist] would kill himself.” He lamented the lack of proof and added, “How can you ban him? How can you snatch his bread and butter? How can you torture his family?”Sonu Nigam on #MeToo accusations against Anu Malik
In another tweet Mohapatra reiterated that Anu Malik had been accused by multiple women.
Following this, she said that she “felt so let down hearing him talk like this and choose the dark side to side up with (sic.). I’m hoping he realises how sad this is.”
Anu Malik has been accused of sexual harassment by several women, including Mohapatra herself, singer Shweta Pandit and two other women who have chosen to remain anonymous. Indipop singer Alisha Chinai had also filed a sexual harassment suit against Malik in the ‘90s, after which she spent several years out of the limelight. A restraining order was passed against him, while he sued Chinai for defamation.
(With inputs from PTI)
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