Maneka Gandhi, Minister for Women and Child Development, said on Friday that the government would form a board of judges to advice on sexual harassment and assault cases as a part of the #MeToo campaign.
“I believe in all of them. I believe in the pain and trauma behind every single complainant,” said Maneka.
She further added that sexual harassment cases must be handled with zero tolerance.
In Narendra Modi government, Maneka Gandhi had become the first Cabinet Minister to demand an investigation into the allegations of sexual molestation against MJ Akbar, Minister of State for External Affairs.
So far, 10 women have accused Akbar of sexual misconduct but women ministers such as Nirmala Sitharaman and Sushma Swaraj have declined to comment.
In an interview, when Gandhi was questioned about the accusation floating against Akbar, she told, “There should be an investigation. Men in position of power often do this. This applies to media, politics and seniors working in companies. Now that women have started speaking out, we should take it seriously.”
There should be no time limit about the complaints on sex molestation, especially in child sexual abuse cases, also complaints of sexual harassment should be allowed 10-15 years later.
