Writer-lyricist Varun Grover was one of the celebrities caught in the MeToo storm over the last few weeks. An anonymous woman had accused Varun Grover of sexually harassing her in 2001, while studying at the IT-BHU, Varanasi. Grover had taken to Twitter to deny the allegations, and clarify that they were false. In another open letter, posted on Medium, Grover has again denied the allegations.
“Last week has been a whirlwind of sorts in my life. Amidst the distress and confusion, I have discovered the kind solidarity of many strangers. I was at the receiving end of an anonymous allegation that I know and can prove to be false. In the macro perspective, the wave is bigger and way more important than my isolated small case. Centuries of patriarchy and oppression have created a system that cannot be taken down through polite means,” he wrote. He, however, said that his isolated case means the world to him, and those close to him. It is important for him to present his side, he wrote. “This closure is needed to maintain my own sanity.”
He clarified that there were only 36 female students who were junior to him during his time at the college, and that of these, only four were part of the theatre group. “As the news broke out, these four reached out to me and expressed their solidarity. Extending their support further, these 4 women reached out to the rest 32 of the female students (spread across the globe) that were my junior at that time and have received confirmation from each one of them that such an incident did not happen. These confirmations can be verified by any independent inquiry,” he wrote. He added he is willing for a formal inquiry.
Revolutions can be messy but they can’t be perceived as unjust, he wrote.
