The Congress and the BJP accused the LDF government of wilfully failing to bring to book those accused of sexual exploitation, abuse, workplace harassment, gender discrimination and misogyny in the Malayalam film industry by sitting on the 2019 K. Hema Committee report detailing pervasive forms of sexual predation and ill-treatment of women artists and technicians.Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said the Kerala High Court’s observation that the government remained alarmingly lethargic on the damning and inculpatory report for five years was a slap on the administration’s face.  He said the LDF government haf failed the litmus test for gender rights despite its pro-women posturing.Mr. Satheesan said the government backpedalled on the report despite the volume of evidence collected by the Hema Committee, including digital proof of sexual abuse, which warranted the registration of child abuse cases.He said the government forgot that many women had braved personal and professional odds to depose before the committee. Despite spending crores on the inquiry committee, the government secreted the report to save the wealthy and power lobbies in the cinema industry.BJP leader and former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan said the High Court’s verdict was an indictment of the Kerala government. He said the court had exposed the government’s entrenched attempt to protect film industry bigwigs accused of crimes against women artists. “The CPI(M) is with the predators, not the prey. Women have no safety or rights under the CPI(M)‘s watch,” he added.BJP State president K. Surendran said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan owed Kerala women an apology. He said the government sacrificed wronged women in the Malayalam film industry at the altar of wealth, power and influence. Published – September 10, 2024 08:53 pm IST