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Mallika Dua breaks silence, says she stands by both #MeToo and her 'sexual harasser' father Vinod Dua

Vinod Dua has been accused of sexual harassment.

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Late on Friday, Mallika Dua responded to the allegations against her father who has been accused of sexually harassing a filmmaker in 1989. While apologising to the accuser, she also slammed her for ‘dragging her name into this’ which she ‘said was in terrible taste’.

 She wrote: “I am in solidarity with the movement and in support of voices but your dragging my name into this was in terrible taste.” She added: " I stand with the movement and will not let its objectives, ideals and purpose be hijacked by shamers. This is my dad's battle, I will let him fight it and I will stand by him."

To this, the accuser replied: “The daughter will stand by her predator father. Wife will stand by her predator husband. Bloodlines run deeper than #MeToo.”

The veteran journalist who is known as the defining face of the news channel Doordarshan has been accused of sexual harassment by a filmmaker. 

The woman narrated her ordeal on a social media platform and claimed that Vinod Dua had sexually harassed her in June 1989. 

Notably, Vinod is known as a strong critique of accused men's behavior and as an active supporter of women rights, with his daughter also known to encourage women and stand by their rights always.  

The woman mentioned in her post that when she graduated from Jamia Mass communication Centre, she went for an interview with a famous TV personality (Vinod Dua), who was starting a new gig. When the woman entered his office, he made a lewd sexual joke in a soft voice, which the woman found derogatory. Continuing with the interview, when they began discussing her salary, she quoted an amount to which the journalist replied saying, "Tumhari aukat kya hai?". 

The woman further said that she had faced sexual harassment earlier as well, but this sort of humiliation was a new experience for her. Her ordeal did not end here, and when she bagged a job in another organisation, the post mentioned that Vinod somehow came to know from his friends in the industry and one night he came to the woman's office during late night hours. 

The woman mentioned that she thought, he was here to apologize for his behaviour during the interview, but she was proven wrong. 

Vinod asked her to sit in his car and before she could settle, he started slobbering all over her face. 

That day, the filmmaker somehow managed to get off the car but, "I spotted him again in the parking in coming nights, after a few days he stopped stalking me."

While talking about the hypocritical attitude of Vinod Dua, she said, "When I read about his outrage against Akshay Kumar's sexist words to his daughter Malika Dua, I said to myself he was no less sexist, no less misogynist, a sexual harasser and a potential rapist."

Here is the entire account of the filmmaker:

"It was June 1989. I still remember the day because it was my birthday. There was extended family at home and mom was preparing for a little celebration in the evening. I was a recent graduate from Jamia Mass Communication Centre. I put on my favourite saree and left home with a fair amount of confidence for a job interview with a famous TV personality who had had a very popular show called Janvani. He was starting a new gig. It was supposed to be a political satire and I was interested. I was greeted with his typical sardonic smile. Before I could settle down he began telling a lewd sexual joke in that soft voice, barely opening his mouth. I don't remember the joke but it wasn't worth a laugh, just dirty. I felt hot in my face and I sat there most probably with an angry look," she wrote.

The filmmaker further went on to say, "He explained the job and asked me what my expectations were and I quoted an amount that most graduates were getting at the time - 5,000 rupees. He looked at me and said, 'Tumhari aukat kya hai?' I dont know what had hit me. I was stunned. What was this about? I had faced sexual harassment early in life but this sort of humiliation was a new experience. By the time I reached home I was in tears. My birthday was ruined. I did tell my brother and friends about it."

"Soon after, I got a job as a video editor in Newstrack. I don't know how this man learnt about it. He had friends in my office who would inform him when I would be working late. One night as I came down to the parking, he was there. He said, he wanted to talk to me and asked me to enter his car - a black SUV/Jeep, I don't remember the make as I'm not into automobiles. Assuming that he wanted to apologise for his behaviour, I entered the car but before I could even settle down he began slobbering all over my face. I managed to get out and get into my office car and leave," wrote the woman while sharing the horrific incident.

She further said, "I spotted him again in the parking in the coming nights and would go right back and wait till someone was ready to leave along with me in the office car. After a few days he stopped stalking me. The man was Vinod Dua. When I read about his outrage against Akshay Kumar's sexist words to his daughter Malika Dua, I said to myself he's obviously forgotten that he was no less sexist, no less misogynist, no less creepy a sexual harasser, potential rapist. If he did to me, I'm sure he would have done it to other women. Today, he does programmes explaining the world what constitutes sexual harassment. He should stop everything and look into his own shady past. I saw him on a thread which was expressing outrage the false accusations against Varun Grover. I could see what his mind was cooking up when stories against him spill out. I won't be surprised if he denies. He's always been an opportunist. Sorry, Malika Dua, your father is also one who belongs to the hall of shame. #MeToo."

We hope that the survivors are served justice, with the perpetrators being punished. 

 

 

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