Row over Kher’s Mayur Vihar show

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government’s cultural festival ‘Mayur Utsav’, which is scheduled to host singer Kailash Kher, ran into controversy on Friday with singer Sona Mohapatra asking chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to withdraw Kher’s name because of allegations of sexual misconduct against him. Delhi government declined to comment on the controversy.

Mohapatra started an online petition on “Change.org” addressed to Kejriwal and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and also took to social networking site Twitter wondering why was Kher, despite the multiple allegations against him, invited for the three-day cultural festival, which kicked off in Mayur Vihar on Friday. Kher is scheduled to perform on the last day of the festival on Sunday.

“Dear Delhi , AamaadmiParty, Arvindkejriwal and Lt governor Delhi. Multiple women, including minors, have come out in the public with their Metoo stories against this predator, Kailash Kher and you choose to rub this kind of insult to injury? Do you care so little for 50 percent of your population?” Mohapatra wrote on Twitter sharing a poster of the event featuring pictures of Kher and Sisodia, who is also the state’s culture minister. She had in October accused Kher of sexually harassing her. Kher did not respond to repeated calls and text messages. Delhi government spokespersons and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia didn’t respond to calls and text messages.