Under fire from various quarters for controversial statements comparing Mumbai to “Pak-Occupied Kashmir” and saying “it seems Mumbai is addicted to blood” and dare to the ruling Shiv Sena to stop from coming to Mumbai, actress Kangana Ranaut on Saturday received support from an unexpected quarter – Maharashtra’s senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis’s banker wife Amruta.
Coming to Kangana’s defence, Amruta Fadnavis said “freedom of expression cannot be suppressed”. “We may not agree with what someone has to say, but we must defend the right to express in democracy! Freedom of speech, freedom of belief, freedom of movement, freedom of press-cannot b suppressed! We can have counter arguments but beating posters of critics with chappals is a new low,” Amruta tweeted. In a related development, social activist Santosh Deshpande has filed a complaint against her for her comments against the Mumbai police, Maharashtra and film industry.
Deshpande said that if the Mumbai Police failed to take cognizance of his complaint, his lawyer Shivraj Pawar would move an appropriate court and pursue the matter till its logical conclusion.
Kangana has been widely criticised by the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance partners comprising Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Congress, and opposition Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, slammed Kangana for her “questionable” remarks. There have also bee+n protests erupted in Mumbai and other cities against the actress. On its part, the BJP too has distanced from Kangana’s “anti-Mumbai” comments.
Ahead of her return to Mumbai on September 9, actress Kangana Ranaut has landed in big trouble over her controversial statements comparing Mumbai to “Pak-Occupied Kashmir”, saying “it seems Mumbai is addicted to blood” and daring the ruling Shiv Sena from coming to Mumbai with one-liner “kisi ke baap mein himmat hai toh rok le”.
In retaliation, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh of the NCP minced no words, when he hit back at the actress on Friday by saying; “if someone feels that Mumbai and Maharashtra are unsafe for them, she has no right to live here”, while a belligerent Shiv Sena MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut said that “Mumbai belongs to the Marathi people. If someone does not accept this fact, then please show me who Mumbai belongs to...”. Raut said that Kangana’s statement was an insult to people of Mumbai and Maharashtra.
Thirty-three-year-old Kangana -- who has been targeting Bollywood, political and other personalities, including chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, leaders of the MVA government through her and another twitter handle @KanganaTeam ever since the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput – was paid back in the same coin. So much so that leaders from various political parties in Maharashtra slammed for her “reckless” statements.
Taking strong exception to Kangana comparing Mumbai to POK, State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh made it clear in no uncertain terms that she had no right to live in Mumbai and Maharashtra if she felt Mumbai and Maharashtra were unsafe to live in.
“Mumbai and Maharashtra police are compared with the Scotland Yard police. They have over the years been working efficiently. That being the case, it is ridiculous that an actress makes such a comment, Today, Mumbai and Maharashtra are safe in the hands of the police. The Mumbai and Maharashtra police are capable of handling law and order. If someone feels that Mumbai and Maharashtra are not safe for them. Such people have no right to live in Mumbai and Maharashtra,” Deshmukh said.
On her impending arrival in Mumbai on September 9, Kangana will definitely be at the receiving end of the workers of the Shiv Sena which may in all likelihood field its women workers to ruffle her at the city airport.
A day after yesteryear actress Renuka Sahane took serious exception to serious exception to Kangana comparing Mumbai to POK and slammed for the latter’s lack of respect for “this wonderful city,” the “Queen”-fame actress responded saying her comment related to “administration” in the city, “..I don’t believe you (Renuka) are that naive, were you also waiting like a blood thirsty vulture to pounce and get a piece of my meat ? Expected better from you”.
Then her slanging match with Raut who had criticised her comment began. “Sanjay Raut Shiv Sena leader has given me an open threat and asked me not to come back to Mumbai, after Aazadi graffiti in Mumbai streets and now open threats, why is Mumbai feeling like Pakistan occupied Kashmir?,” Kangana tweeted on Friday.
“After Sushant and Sadhus murder now beating my posters with chappals for my opinions on administration, it seems Mumbai is addicted to blood,” Kangana tweeted.
“I see many people are threatening me to not come back to Mumbai so I have now decided to travel to Mumbai this coming week on 9th September, I will post the time when I land at the Mumbai airport, kisi ke baap mein himmat hai toh rok le,” Kangana said in another her tweet.
Raut retaliated by saying: “Mumbai belongs to the ancestors of Marathi people.. Those who do not accept this fact may produce their ancestors. The Shiv Sena will not rest till it makes its enemies pay for their betrayal of faith. Promise. Jai Hind. Jai Maharashtra”.
Later in the day, Raut said that the Shiv Sena did not believe in mere statements but it believed in action.
On its part, the Opposition BJP – which is seen to be supporter of die-hard fan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kangana, swiftly distanced itself from the comments of the actress "Kangana should not try to teach Mumbai, Mumbaikars and Maharashtra. Sanjay Raut should not attack us through Kangana. BJP has nothing to do with Kangana. Dont link us to her statements,’’ BJP leader Ashish Shelar said.
Charging that Kangana was acting as the “mouthpiece” of the BJP’s IT Cell, Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said that through Kangana the Opposition party in the state had insulted the 13 crore people of Maharashtra, the 106 martyrs who sacrificed themselves for the state and Queen of Jhansi, Rani Laxmibai.
“Devendra Fadnavis (Leader of Opposition) and MLA Ram Kadam are her mentors… If Kangana has information about drug peddlers, why doesn't she inform the central agencies… Why Sandip Ssingh made 53 calls to the BJP leaders must be probed,” Sawant said.