Sumukhi Suresh condemns rape threats on female comics

MUMBAI: Digital sensation Sumukhi Suresh, known for breaking stereotypes with her acting and stand-up comedy gigs, has strongly condemned online abuse against female comics, adding that the trend is disturbing that all the hate ends with rape threats.

Sumukhi warned people not to take silence as a sign of weakness. She used social media to make her point.

“You are NOT allowed to rape and threaten to rape us. You are NOT allowed to sexually assault and threaten to do that. You canNOT say “we respect ladies” and then tell us to “shut up or we will rape you and your mothers on the road,” she tweeted.

“You will NOT be allowed to think that you have the right to violate our body to silence us. Please do NOT be a coward and a disgusting human,” she added.

Sumukhi’s reaction comes a few days after comedian Agrima Joshua received rape threats when an old video of her comedy set with a joke about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj surfaced. Since then, a video with a person abusing Agrima and her family, and giving her rape threats has gone viral.

Sumukhi said: “It’s disturbing to see all the hate that women are getting is about ruining her body by fucking us from all sides. You do NOT have a right over ANYONES body to do heinous acts like you have claimed to do in your threats. No entity in the past, present and future preaches to do so.

“We seem quiet because we are working hard to make a mark in our field and we don’t want anything stopping us. Does NOT mean you take our silence as a weakness and threaten to maul us for our actions. It’s regrettable but take legal actions for your weak hearted offence.”

“But DONT you DARE think you have the right to mutilate our bodies to teach us a life lesson,” she added.

Meanwhile, Agrima issued an apology for hurting sentiments with her comedy set.

She wrote: “I am sorry for having hurt the sentiments of the many followers of the great leader Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. My heartfelt apologies to followers of the great leader, who I sincerely respect. The video has already been taken down.”