The ongoing season of Bigg Boss Kannada Season 12 (BBK 12) has been hit with a major scandal following the submission of a formal complaint to the Karnataka State Women's Commission. The complaint, filed by social activist Sandhya Pavithra N, targets show host and superstar Kiccha Sudeep and contestant Ashwini Gowda, alongside other participants and the show’s production team.
The core of the controversy stems from serious allegations aired on the show, which include caste discrimination, verbal abuse, physical assault, and the humiliation of women.
The most severe accusation falls on contestant Ashwini Gowda, who is alleged to have used a casteist remark against fellow contestant Rakshita. The complaint specifically points to Ashwini's use of the coded term "S Category," which the complainant interprets as a derogatory reference to Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe communities. Earlier, a separate police complaint was also filed against Ashwini regarding this remark.
Furthermore, the complaint alleges that host Kiccha Sudeep used "insulting and aggressive" language toward Rakshita during one of his weekend sessions. The activist claims that such behaviour from a prominent public figure like Sudeep normalizes the humiliation of women on a widely viewed platform. Contestant Rashika is also named for an alleged incident of physical assault against co-housemate Malavalli Nataraj (Gilli).
This development has amplified the already intense scrutiny on BBK 12, prompting debates about ethics, accountability, and the conduct of participants in reality television. The Women's Commission is now expected to review the allegations and seek clarification from the channel and the show’s makers.
