Malayalam rapper Vedan has been embroiled in several controversies, including sexual assault and harassment allegations made by multiple women.
Recently, he met Tamil Nadu minister Rajmohan Arumugam, prompting singer Chinmayi Sripaada to react to the development on X (formerly Twitter).
Sripaada wrote on X, “I hope @TVKVijayHQ and @imrajmohan dont do exactly what the previous regimens did in men platforming accused of serious sexual harassment / assault allegations. During Covid, a song was announced as a collaboration between Govind Vasantha, Muhsin Parari, Vedan and me. I participated in Malayalam based Clubhouse event in which a woman asked me how I could work with Vedan.”
Chinmayi noted that she had been turning down projects that he was a part of. She said, “At that point, the reports were predominantly in Malayalam and I had no knowledge of it. He later put out a statement apologising and (accepting?) that he was wrong. The project was dropped. Vedan has since been named by others. I routinely turned down concerts that he was a part of at great loss to my own work and opportunities – Men using social activism as a facade to violate women’s consent is not acceptable.”
(Image: X)
She further claimed that the women who accused him of wrongdoings received no support, while he get platformed. Chinmayi noted, “The problem remains: women in similar social groups get no support when they want to name men like Vedan and stand absolutely alone because the man is a ‘hero’, a ‘leader’ and the women have to tolerate his transgressions for the ‘greater good’. Some of these men who have painted themselves as voices for those whose voice has been taken away, yet remain aggressors that they claim to fight. Enough is enough.”
Chinmayi Sripaada also reposted a video of Vedan meeting Udhayanidhi Stalin, expressing frustration over public figures continuing to platform him. Vedan is currently facing multiple cases, including allegations of sexual assault, outraging modesty, and a wildlife-related case involving the alleged possession of a leopard tooth.