MeToo has arrived in India, says Maneka Gandhi; asks law ministry to allow complaints without time limit

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NEW DELHI: Union Minister Maneka Gandhi has asked the law ministry to allow victims file complaint reports without any time limit.

“You'll always remember the person who did it which is why, we've written to Law Ministry that complaints should be without any time limit. You can now complain 10-15 yrs later doesn't matter how much later. If you're going to complain the avenue is still open,” said the Women and Child Development Minister on  Monday. 

Applauding the recent MeToo campaign which has taken the social media by storm, Gandhi said, “Now a Me Too campaign has started and I'm very happy that it has started.”

“But I think women are responsible and anger at sexual molestation never goes away,” she added.

Discussing the #MeToo movement, the minister warned that it should not be used to "target people who have offended us in some way".

"I hope it does not go out of control in a way that we target people who have offended us in some way but I think women are angry at sexual molestation," she said.

Scores of women, led by a few women journalists, took to social media to speak up about their traumatic experience and incidents of sexual harassment.

From best-selling authors to creative filmmakers to senior media editors and other guardians of public morality – people across industries were being named in the "MeToo" and "TimesUp" movements, which began in Hollywood a year ago. 

Among those who have been named author Chetan Bhagat, Bollywood personalities Rajat Kapoor, Vikas Bahl, singer Kailash Kher and many others.

With agency inputs