‘Casting couch everywhere, even Parliament is not immune,’ says Renuka Chowdhary

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NEW DELHI: Congress leader Renuka Chowdhary has dropped a bombshell on Tuesday stating that even the parliament was not immune to the phenomenon of casting couch.

Responding to Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khan’s remark on the casting couch, the Congress leader said that even Parliament is not immune to it.

Talking to ANI, Chowdhary urged that India should stand up and said #MeToo.

“It is not just in the film industry. It happens everywhere and it is the bitter truth. Don’t imagine that Parliament is immune or other workplaces are immune to it. It is time that India stood up and said #MeToo,” Chowdhary said.

Earlier in the day, veteran choreographer Saroj Khan defended the practice of casting couch in the film industry.

The 69-year-old, who has choreographed more than 2000 songs in her career, further said the ‘tradition’ has been going on for centuries and blaming just Bollywood is unfair.

“Yeh chala aa raha hai baba aadam ke zamaane se. Har ladki ke upar koi na koi haath saaf karne ki koshish karta hai. Government ke log bhi karte hain. Tum film industry ke peeche kyun pade ho? Woh kam se kam roti toh deti hai. Rape karke chhod toh nahi deti. (This is going on from ‘Baba Adam’s times’, it is not new. Someone or the other always try to take an advantage of a girl. The government officials do it too, then why are we only behind the film industry? It provides livelihood at least),” she said.

“Yeh ladki ke upar hai ki tum kya karna chahti ho. Tum uske haath mein nahi aana chahti ho toh nahi aaogi. Tumhare paas art hai toh tum kyun bechoge apne aap ko? Film industry ko kuch mat kehna, woh humaara mai-baap hai (It is up to the girl, what she wants to do. If you don’t want to fall into wrong hands, you won’t. If you are talented, why would you sell yourself? Don’t blame the film industry’s name, it is everything to us),” she added.

Further putting her view forward, national award-winning choreographer said as to why would anyone want to sell herself if she is confident about her talent.

ANI inputs