Actor Siddique resigns from Malayalam cinema artists' body over sexual assault allegation

Noted actor Siddique on Sunday resigned as the general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (A.M.M.A.) following sexual assault allegations raised by a woman actor on August 24. Speaking to media, the senior actor said he had sent his resignation letter to the President of the organisation, Mohanlal.

"Yes. I have tendered my official resignation to the president of the organisation, Mohanlal. Since there were allegations against me, I have decided not to continue in the post and resigned," Siddique said.

A female actor had on Saturday alleged that Siddique had sexually abused her after inviting her for a movie discussion. The allegations came in the wake of the churn in the Malayalam film industry following the release of Justice Hema Committee report, which pointed towards numerous incidents of sexual abuse in the field. The report has revealed instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry, prompting calls for action against the guilty.

Meanwhile, various members of A.M.M.A. welcomed the decision of the senior actor to step down from the top post of the outfit in the wake of the allegations. Meanwhile, Jayan Cherthala, the vice president of the A.M.M.A., said it was not appropriate for Siddique to continue in the position even after such serious allegations cropped up against him. Well-known actor Anoop Chandran said he sent an email to A.M.M.A. president Mohanlal in the morning detailing the necessity of seeking Siddique's resignation from the position.

"The continuation of a person, facing serious allegations, in the post is actually an insult to the entire organisation. So I said in the email that if Siddique was not ready to step down on his own, the executive committee should be prepared to oust him," Chandran told media.

Actress Mala Parvathy said Siddique's decision to resign was "morally and ethically correct". "The actor's resignation is inevitable...it is an appropriate decision. If that victim woman showed the courage to come in front of the society and detailed the trauma she underwent publically, we should understand the intensity of pain and humiliation she had suffered," Parvathy said.