Bhim Army seeks FIR against Rakhi Sawant

Her ‘dope’ dig hurt religious sentiments, they say

October 20, 2018 01:00 am | Updated 01:00 am IST - Mumbai

Mumbai, 06/04/2017 : Rakhi Sawant Press Conference at Imperial Height Goregaon in Mumbai

Photo: Vijay Bate.

Mumbai, 06/04/2017 : Rakhi Sawant Press Conference at Imperial Height Goregaon in Mumbai

Photo: Vijay Bate.

The Bhim Army, a Dalit rights organisation, on Thursday submitted an application to the Oshiwara police seeking an FIR under the Atrocities Act against actor Rakhi Sawant regarding her recent statements on the Tanushree Dutta-Nana Patekar controversy.

Ms. Dutta filed an FIR against Mr. Patekar and three others on October 10 in connection with the alleged sexual harassment that she underwent on the set of the 2008 movie Horn Ok Pleasss . Ms. Sawant, who replaced Ms. Dutta in the song sequence that the latter was supposed to perform, had subsequently lashed out at Ms. Dutta in a sound byte to television news channels.

According to Sanjay Bhalerao, head of the south central division of the Bhim Army, Ms. Sawant made several derogatory statements against Ms. Dutta and her stint with yoga and Vipassana in 2010-2012, during which Ms. Dutta had also shaved off her hair.

“She went bald and took sanyas ...who sits in the snowy mountains? Is it possible to do Vipassana without taking dope? Can anyone here sit in the snow without doing dope?” Ms. Sawant said about Ms. Dutta, threatening to slap her for leveling accusations against Mr. Patekar.

In his application Mr. Bhalerao said, “Several from the Buddhist community turn to Vipassana for mental peace. To imply that it is not possible without doing drugs, and that all of us who undergo Vipassana take them, hurts our religious sentiments,” he said. Ms. Sawant should be booked for hurting religious sentiments and criminal intimidation, he added.

An officer with the Oshiwara police confirmed that Mr. Bhalerao's application had been received and said that no FIR had been registered as yet.

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