Actor Rakhi Sawant has come out in support of MeToo accused, filmmaker Sajid Khan pleading people to let him live. Several videos of Rakhi surfaced online in which she warned people that Sajid Khan will commit suicide because of their hatred. Rakhi also choked up as she said that even though Sajid isn’t related to her, she feels for him out of humanity. Speaking about people raising objections to Sajid being a part of the reality show Bigg Boss 16, Rakhi called it ‘publicity stunt’. Rakhi spoke to reporters outside an airport. (Also Read | Sherlyn Chopra, who accused Sajid Khan of harassment, questions Salman Khan: ‘Is the Bigg Boss house for molesters?’)
In a video on Instagram, Rakhi said in Hindi and English, “Frankly speaking, Sajid Khan has received the punishment in the last four years of his life. Why did nobody raise their voices then? Bigg Boss mein woh gaya, Bigg Boss mein woh highlight horahe hai isliye log behti Ganga mein haath dhona chahte hai (He went to Bigg Boss and is getting highlighted so people are taking advantage of the opportunity). I won’t say if he is guilty or innocent, I don’t know. For four years he didn’t work.”
Rakhi also said, “I think he is no longer guilty as he already spent four years without working, I think people are after him, after he went to Bigg Boss, for publicity stunt. Shame on them. When he is trying to start afresh, people should let him do that.” She said that Bigg Boss takes such ‘controversial people’ as contestants only. Rakhi also assured people that if she goes to Bigg Boss, she will ask Sajid if the allegations against him are true or not.
As her voice choked, Rakhi said, “Sajid Khan mera koi nahi lagta but ek insaniyat ke naate us banda aatmahatya karle uske pehle usko zindagi jeelene do yaar. Warne woh banda aatmahatya karlega agar desh ki taraf se usko itni nafrat milegi banda aatmahatya karlega. Agar aap log sab milke usko itni nafrat karoge toh, usko jeene do, please. Aap log usko jeene do. Sajid Khan chaar saaal saza bhugat chuka hai, kisine uske saath kaam nahi kiya hai (Sajid Khan is no one close to me but for humanity, let him live or else he will kill himself. If he receives so much hate from the country, he will die by suicide. He has received punishment in the last four years, he didn’t work with anyone).”
Sajid was mired in the #MeToo controversy in 2018 after nine women from the industry, who worked with him on various projects, accused the filmmaker of sexually harassing them. After facing the allegations, Sajid decided to take a ‘moral responsibility of stepping down’ from his directorial post of Houseful 4, as per the report, as reported by news agency ANI.