Monali Thakur Issues Statement Slamming Varanasi Concert Organisers Of 'Falsely' Accusing Her Team Of Sexual Harassment

Monali Thakur recently made headlines for walking off the stage mid-way during a concert in Varanasi. The singer alleged that the infrastructure of the concert and the arrangement by the management team were not up to the mark, forcing her to end the show midway. At the time, she apologised to fans for ending the concert earlier than she intended due to unfavourable conditions. Days later, she took to her Instagram account to pen a long note detailing what made her end the show in 70 minutes.

Monali Thakur breaks silence on Varanasi concert fiasco 

On January 6, Monali Thakur took to her social media account to detail why she had to end the Varanasi show abruptly. She stressed that she and her team were accused of sexual harassment, which was ‘false and defamatory’ claims. She also attached a confession letter from the organisers claiming responsibility for the poor show management.

In her letter, the singer wrote, "Hope this letter is sufficient to clear any confusion anyone might have had about the credibility of any of the false defamatory accusations made against my team and myself, as well as the treacherous and unethical conduct of the organisers. It has been deeply troubling for me to process the reckless and irresponsible behaviour of the event management company's team. Specially, their misuse of laws designed to protect against sexual harassment-laws that are vital for safeguarding people, especially women in our society-is both appalling and unacceptable." She clarified that the laws made to protect against sexual harassment were wrongly used against her and her team.

She added, “Weaponising such laws for personal vendetta, ego satisfaction, or retaliation against those who refused to comply with unethical practices is not only a gross abuse of rights but also deeply disrespectful to genuine survivors of these heinous crimes. These reckless behaviour undermines the credibility of survivors who show immense courage in seeking justice and hampers the hard work of those fighting to eradicate such crimes. It is particularly disheartening to see young women participating in such actions, as it damages the cause and creates distrust around an issue that should always be treated with the utmost seriousness.”

Monali Thakur expresses gratitude to UP police for swift action 

Continuing her note, Monali detailed exactly what happened on the day of the concert. She recalled on December 22,  "My team and I were subjected to severe negligence in basic infrastructural safety, false accusations of harassment, and life-threatening intimidation. This forced me to leave the stage after 70 minutes of performance. It is absolutely unacceptable to treat vendors poorly, cheat them of their hard-earned money, or con them in any way. Disrespecting and harassing those working behind the scenes- whether they are backstage crew, artist managers, or artist coordinators-is not the way forward."
 

She concluded the note by writing, “Such behaviour should never be tolerated or entertained and I am confident in saying this on behalf of the entire live entertainment industry, a community that works tirelessly day and night to elevate Indian live entertainment to its highest potential and newest peaks. There has to be stricter regulations to protect performing artists, backstage and onstage crews from exploitation and to ensure a safe, professional, and respectful environment for all parties involved. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the UP Police and the Varanasi Police Department for their swift and effective intervention that day, which helped us regain control of the situation. I am also deeply thankful to the audience of Varanasi for their unwavering love and trust."