Shatrughan Sinha on #MeToo movement: Behind every successful man's fall, is a woman
Mumbai, Feb 7: Veteran actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha on Wednesday said behind a successful man's fall is a woman but clarified that he was not making fun of the #MeToo movement and his comments should be taken in "right humour".
"Today is the time of #MeToo, and there shouldn't be any shame or hesitation to say that behind a successful man's fall is a woman. Behind the troubles and infamy of successful men, there have been mostly women that I've seen in this movement," he said at the launch of the book "A Touch of Evil" by author Dhruv Somani.
"I really call myself fortunate that in today's times, tamam harkat karne kay bawajood (despite everything that I've done), my name hasn't come out in the #MeToo movement. Hence, I listen to my wife and often take her as a shield with me so that even if there's nothing, I can show, 'I am happily married, my life is good.'"
Sinha said his wife, Poonam, is a "goddess" and his "everything".
"Even if anyone wants to say anything about me, please don't say,'" he added.
The #MeToo movement hit Bollywood last year and saw several women coming out with their horror stories of sexual harassment and rape by actors and filmmakers from the industry.
When asked whether he was making fun of the movement, Sinha backtracked and said his statement should be taken in "right humour."
"Don't take it otherwise. Please take it with a plain sense of humour. I highly appreciate and applaud the women, who, better late than never, have come forward... I salute their courage and guts.
"But beyond that, I don't want to go further at this hour because it's a book launch event and we should not cross our limits. But having said this, I understand what you are saying and I am highly supportive of what you said," he added.
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Surat LS candidate Nilesh Kumbhani whose nomination form was rejected suspended from Congress
Ahmedabad, Apr 25: The Gujarat Congress on Friday suspended from the party for six years its Surat Lok Sabha candidate Nilesh Kumbhani, whose nomination form was rejected over discrepancies leading to the BJP's Mukesh Dalal getting elected unopposed.
A statement from the Congress said the party's disciplinary committee decided to suspend Kumbhani after thorough discussion, adding it had come to the conclusion that the nomination form was rejected due to gross negligence on his part or "in connivance with the BJP".
"To be fair to you we have given time to you to explain your case but instead of coming before the party disciplinary committee you have gone incommunicado. After your form was rejected by the authorities, BJP went ahead and got form of other eight candidates withdrawn. This has deprived people of Surat their voting rights," the Congress disciplinary committee headed by Balu Patel said.
"People of Surat and party workers have become very angry due to your action and are expressing their anger in different ways. The Congress party has decided to suspend you for six years from the party," the press note said.
Kumbhani's nomination form was rejected on April 21 after his three proposers submitted affidavits to the district returning officer claiming the signatures on the document was not theirs.
The nomination form of Suresh Padsala, the Congress' substitute candidate from Surat, was also invalidated on the same grounds.
In his order, Returning Officer Sourabh Pardhi said the three nomination forms submitted by Kumbhani and Padsala were rejected after prima facie discrepancy was found in the signatures of the proposers and they did not appear to be genuine.
Kumbhani, a former corporator from Surat, had unsuccessfully fought the 2022 Assembly polls from Kamrej there.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's Mukesh Dalal was elected unopposed from Surat Lok Sabha constituency on April 22 after all other nominees, including one from BSP, withdrew from the fray one by one on the last day of withdrawing papers.
