Chetan Bhagat denied Ira Trivedi's allegations saying that #MeToo was not about believing a particular gender but merely standing up for what was true

Following a column in the Outlook magazine by writer Ira Trivedi in which she detailed her own experience of being sexually harassed by Chetan Bhagat, the author responded on 15 October with a series of tweets claiming that not only are these allegations false but are also hampering the movement as a whole.

He tweeted the photograph of a 'self-explanatory' email that was sent to him by Trivedi in 2013 which according to him shows that her accusations from 2010 were false. He also wrote that the mental harassment that these charges were inflicting on him and his family must stop and that people should refrain from harming the campaign with fake charges.

So who wanted to kiss whom? @iratrivedi’s self-explanatory email from 2013 to me, esp last line, easily shows her claims from 2010 are false, and she knows this too. This mental harassment of me and my family has to stop. Please don’t harm a movement with #fakecharges #harassed pic.twitter.com/SWeaSCfHLd — Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) October 15, 2018

In the posts that followed, he also said that as she came from a family with powerful political connections and it was he who was initially intimidated by her. Bhagat went on to share another image of an excerpt from an article which spoke about an 'entitled IAS kid demanding upgrades at Air India counter.' He claims that this kid was Trivedi.

Also, it is she who comes from very powerful family connected to pol party (regularly dropped top names of people in power then ). i was less known in 2010. was intimidated by her. My old col on Air India talks of entitled IAS kid demanding upgrades at Air India counter. It's her pic.twitter.com/GGNGjZgbz9 — Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) October 15, 2018

Trivedi had met Bhagat nearly a decade ago at the Jaipur Literature Festival during a panel discussion and over the years that followed she alleged that Bhagat made several untoward advances at her.

To her accusations, the author, whose work The Girl in Room 105 was released recently, responded by tweeting that he launched Trivedi's book in 2015/16 and questioned who calls their harasser to be a chief guest at their book launch. He added that it takes a lifetime to build a reputation and that this movement was not about believing a particular gender but merely standing up for what was true.

Shame on media like @outlookindia who carried a fake charges story without even checking with me. They could have easily checked on YouTube that I launched her book in 2015/16. Who calls their harasser as chief guest for their book launch? Video here: https://t.co/g6uIOVLjeS — Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) October 15, 2018

A person’s reputation is their most prized asset and takes a lifetime of work to earn. To have these motivated, fake attacks on me is abhorrent and the sickest thing a person can do. Please don’t support this kind of smear campaign. — Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) October 15, 2018

To those who abused me last few days, hope you will do right by me now. Ultimately, is this movement about the truth or blindly supporting a particular gender? Please don’t let your biases make you believe things that are not true. — Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) October 15, 2018

Annoyed by my revelations, more baseless, twisted attacks may come on me, through her friends, wellwishers &/or others. Neither obligated nor inclined to respond. Please don’t believe such nonsense. I may go silent on twitter to heal my family but I won’t be shamed or silenced. — Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) October 15, 2018

I am not a vindictive person. More than anything I just want me and my family to be left alone and people to ignore fake charges. Love to all who supported me. I won’t let you down. This was my #MeToo story. Peace out. — Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) October 15, 2018

He further said that while he may choose to go silent on Twitter following these developments for the sake of his family, he is scarcely shamed or silenced and to whatever retorts might come his way, he is "neither obligated nor inclined to respond."