Actor Payal Ghosh, who accused filmmaker Anurag Kashyap of sexually assaulting her, joined the Republican Party of India (Athawale) on Monday. She along with some others joined the party in the presence of its chief and Union minister Ramdas Athawale. Ghosh was appointed vice president of the women's wing of the party.
Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Athawale said the entry of Ghosh and others into the party would strengthen it. He also claimed Kashyap would be arrested soon. The filmmaker has continuously denied the allegations leveled by Ghosh.
"I told her RPI(A) is Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's party. It helps all sections of society, be it Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs, villagers, slum dwellers. The RPI will get a good face if you join the party. After I discussed this with her, she was ready to join the party," Athawale said.
Ghosh said she joined RPI(A) to do something for the country and thanked Athawale for supporting her in her fight against Kashyap. After Payal Ghosh had come out with her allegations against filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, Ramdas Athawale had met Maharashtra Governor BS Koshyari to seek action against Anurag Kashyap.
Maharashtra: Actor Payal Ghosh joins Union Minister Ramdas Athawale-led Republican Party of India (A), in Mumbai.
— ANI (@ANI) October 26, 2020
She has been named as the vice president of women's wing of RPI (A). pic.twitter.com/slRLOKtJWV
Payal had in September tweeted her allegations against Kashyap, and had alleged that he had tried to force himself on her when she met him for work. She had also released a video in which she said, "He told me that it is a very normal thing in the industry and being in a physical relationship is not a big deal.”
On Septembre 22, Versova police in Mumbai registered FIR under sections 376 (I) (rape), 354 (assault on woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Anurag on September 22.
Anurag Kashyap has denied Payal Ghosh's allegations against him, describing them as "false and reckless". He also claimed he was out of the country during the period mentioned in her First Information Report (FIR).