“I’m very worried…”

Monali Thakur walked out of her recent concert in Varanasi due to poor management and called the organizers “useless, unethical and irresponsible”. The event company later filed sexual harassment allegations against its crew. On Monday, the singer finally broke her silence on the allegations and criticized the organizers for exploiting the artists and their crew on stage.

Monali wrote a long note on her Instagram: “I was hoping not to end 2024 or start a new year 2025 by addressing the horrible negative incident we faced in Varanasi. However, after much thought, I feel it is important to share this sad truth – not only to raise awareness, but also to call for reforms in dealing with such issues. sufficient to remove any confusion as to the veracity of any false defamatory allegations against my team and myself, and regarding treachery and unethical behavior of the organizers”.

She further added: “It was very disturbing for me to see the reckless and irresponsible behavior of the company’s events team. In particular, their abuse of laws designed to protect against sexual harassment, laws that are vital to the protection of people, especially women in our society – it is appalling and unacceptable to use such laws as weapons for personal revenge, ego gratification or retribution against those who refused . following unethical practices is not only a gross violation of rights, but also a profound disrespect to the survivors of these horrific crimes.”

“This reckless behavior undermines the confidence of victims who show tremendous courage in seeking justice and hinders the hard work of those fighting to eradicate such crimes. It is especially unfortunate to see young women participating in such actions, as it hurts the cause and creates distrust. around an issue that should always be taken with the utmost seriousness,” Monali wrote.

Recalling the events that took place on December 22, Monali shared that she and her team were “subjected to gross negligence of basic infrastructure security, false allegations of harassment and life-threatening intimidation”. She added that it forced her to leave the stage after performing for 70 minutes.

“It is absolutely unacceptable to mistreat sellers, cheat them out of their hard earned money or cheat them in any way. Disrespecting and harassing those behind the scenes, whether it’s the backstage crew, performance managers, or artist coordinators, is not okay. this kind of behavior should never be tolerated or entertained and I’m sure I can say that on behalf of the entire live entertainment industry, the working community. relentlessly day and night to take Indian live entertainment to its highest potential and newest heights. Stronger regulations are needed to protect performers, backstage and stage crew from exploitation and ensure a safe, professional and respectful environment for all involved. “, the singer concluded.