Sleaze video: Neelam Gorhe urges victims to have faith, lodge complaint

Mumbai, July 18 (IANS) The Deputy Chairperson of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Neelam Gorhe, on Tuesday personally appealed to the victim/s of the alleged sleaze video involving a BJP leader to “come forward and register complaints”.

Simultaneously, the Chairperson of Maharashtra State Commission for Women (MSCW), Rupali Chakankar, urged Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar to conduct an in-depth probe into the matter and submit its report at the earliest.

Taking serious note of the purported video allegedly showing former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya in compromising positions -- portions of which were telecast by a local news channel -- Gorhe called upon the women “who are seeing the proceedings in the house to have faith in the Legislature”.

“Have faith in the legislature... Come and lodge complaints. Without any complaint, what will be the outcome of any inquiry,” said Gorhe of the ruling ally Shiv Sena, while terming the video content as "extremely disturbing".

Chakankar also urged the women victims to come forward and lodge police complaints, pointing out that the MSCW has taken suo moto cognisance of the sordid affair that has been exposed.

Meanwhile, the slimy video led to massive demonstrations in Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur and other parts of the state, with protesters hitting Somaiya’s photos with shoes, blackening or burning his pictures, raising slogans condemning his alleged act and demanding a proper probe into the entire matter.

Shiv Sena's (UBT) Leader of Opposition, Ambadas Danve, raised the issue in the House and submitted a pen-drive of Somaiya’s alleged video to Gorhe, who acknowledged it and said that Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a high-level probe into the matter.

Chiding the concerned news channel, she said TV networks should exercise restraint while airing such sensitive content that is viewed by families, including women and children.

“I have received the pen-drive and will submit it to the investigating officers, but the complaint of the affected woman is necessary,” Gorhe said.

The video-incident has evoked strong reactions from top leaders like Nana Patole, Anil Parab, Yashomati Thakur, Anil Deshmukh, Preeti Sharma-Menon and others with a vociferous demand for a thorough probe.