News Analysis India

Tag: Kangana Ranaut

  • ‘Bheek’ remarks: Strip Kangana of all national awards, demands Shiv Sena

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena on Saturday demanded that actor Kangana Ranaut be stripped of all her national awards over her comments that what India achieved in 1947 was “bheek” (alms) and the real freedom was attained only in 2014 when Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, which it said amounted to “treason”.

    The editorial in Sena’s mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ said the country will never tolerate such insult to Independence which was attained through blood, sweat, tears and the sacrifice made by countless Indians.

    “The Modi government should strip Kangana of all her national awards,” the Sena said.

    Taking potshots at BJP, Sena said Ranaut’s comments have exposed its “fake nationalism”.

    “Nobody had insulted India’s freedom fighters in such a manner before Kangana. Recently she was honoured with the Padma Shri award which had earlier been conferred to freedom fighters. It is unfortunate that Kangana was honoured with the same award,” the editorial said.

    Referring to Ranaut’s comments, the Sena said the actress’ “present political ancestors” were nowhere in the scene during the process of the county’s freedom struggle.

    “Our freedom was achieved through blood, sweat, tears and the sacrifice made by countless people of India.

    Calling it ‘bheek’ is a case of treason,” the Sena said, adding that the “statue of Sardar Patel (the first home minister of India) must be crying after hearing these comments”.

    Though BJP MP Varun Gandhi and actor Anupam Kher have criticised Ranaut where are the staunch nationalists of BJP, the Sena asked.

    The Shiv Sena, a former ally of the BJP, currently heads the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

  • Kangana Ranaut’s effigy burnt in Indore over actor’s ‘freedom at 2014’ comment

    By PTI

    INDORE: A group comprising the kin of freedom fighters on Friday set afire an effigy of Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut in Indore in Madhya Pradesh for reportedly claiming that India won true Independence in 2014, when the Narendra Modi government came to power, and that the one obtained in 1947 was “alms”.

    The protest was held on MG Road here and one of the participants, Asha Govind Khadiwala, said Ranaut must apologise to the nation for hurting the valour and sacrifice of freedom fighters. The protesters later submitted a memorandum at the Indore divisional commissioner’s office.

    The actor had said at a recent event organised by a news channel that the Independence of the country in 1947 was not freedom but “bheek” (alms), while the country truly became free in 2014, a reference to the BJP coming to power at the Centre under Modi.

  • Withdraw Kangana Ranaut’s Padma Shri, arrest her: Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Maharashtra Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik on Friday demanded that the Centre must withdraw the Padma Shri award from Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut for her controversial remarks on the country’s Independence and sought her immediate arrest.

    Addressing a press conference, NCP leader condemned Ranaut’s statement that India got real freedom in 2014 and said it seems the Bollywood actor is on a heavy dose of Malana cream, a particular variety of hashish which grows specifically in Himachal Pradesh.

    “We strongly condemn actress Kangana Ranaut’s statement. She insulted freedom fighters. The Centre must take back the Padma Shri from Kangana and arrest her. Looks like Kangana Ranaut took a heavy dose of Malana Cream before making such a statement,” said the Maharastra minister.

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    Earlier on Thursday, BJP leader Varun Gandhi also criticised the actor for her comment.

    He shared the viral video of the actor and said, “Sometimes an insult to Mahatma Gandhi’s sacrifice and penance, sometimes respect to his [Mahatma Gandhi’s] killer, and now an insult to the sacrifices of lakhs of freedom fighters — from Shaheed Mangal Pandey to Rani Laxmibai, Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and more. Should I call this madness or treason?”

    The controversy began after Ranaut on Thursday said that India attained freedom in 2014 when the Modi-led government came to power and described the country’s Independence in 1947 as “bheek”, or alms. Kangana received the prestigious award by President Ram Nath Kovind at a ceremony hosted at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in the capital on November 8.

  • Congress slams Kangana’s 1947 was ‘bheek’ remark as ‘treason’, demands Padma Shri be taken back

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Hitting out at actor Kangana Ranaut for describing India’s Independence in 1947 as ‘bheek’ or alms, the Congress on Thursday said her remarks amounted to “treason” and demanded the government take back the Padma Shri bestowed on her recently as she has “insulted” the country’s Independence movement.

    In a 24-second clip shared widely, Ranaut says India’s Independence in 1947 was not freedom but “bheek” (alms).

    “And we got real freedom in 2014,” she said at an event organised by a news channel.

    Some people in the audience were heard clapping.

    Reacting to Ranaut’s remarks, Congress’ senior spokesperson Anand Sharma termed the comments “shocking and outrageous”.

    “Ms Kangana Ranaut’s statement heaping insult on the courageous freedom fighters led by Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru and Sardar Patel but also belittling the sacrifices of revolutionaries like Sardar Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekar Azad and several others,” he said in a series of tweets.

    Sharma urged President Ram Nath Kovind to immediately take back the Padma award given to Ranaut.

    Psychiatric evaluation should be carried out before giving such awards so that such persons do not dishonour the nation and its heroes, the former Union minister said.

    “Prime Minister Narendra Modi should break his silence and tell the nation if he endorses the views of Ranaut. If not, the government should take appropriate legal action against such people,” he added.

    Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said her statement has shown what happens when people who are not deserving of Padma awards are given these honours.

    “I demand that Kangana Ranaut should make a public apology to all Indians because of her statement, our freedom movement and our freedom fighters’ sacrifice were insulted,” Vallabh said.

    “The Government of India should take back the prestigious Padma award from such a lady who is insulting Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Bhagat Singh, Subhash Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. If the government is giving her Padma award, it means the government is promoting these kinds of people,” Vallabh said.

    Asserting that because of her statement, sentiments of families of freedom fighters were hurt, the Congress leader said the government should apologise on behalf of Ranaut as she was a recipient of a Padma award.

    What Kangana Ranaut has said is “direct treason”, Vallabh said.

    Another Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said Ranaut’s remarks were “berating and an insult” to the sacrifice made by lakhs of citizens, including freedom fighters such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Bhagat Singh, Chandra Shekhar Azad and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

    “People like them laid down their lives for the freedom of this country and here is someone who just walks in and says we got this in alms, what sort of a statement is this. They (the BJP people) are fake, pseudo nationalists,” she said.

    “Anybody who is an Indian citizen will take great objection to what this woman has said,” Shrinate added.

    She lashed out at the government for its “conspicuous silence” and also that of BJP spokespersons, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Home Minister’s Office.

    “Here is someone who is given one of the highest honours of the land, the Padma Shri, and she doesn’t even value our independence. What sort of a person are we honouring with one of our greatest honours?” Shrinate said.

    “No one on the face of this Earth has any business berating our national movement and the freedom which was hard earned,” the Congress spokesperson said.

    Shrinate said Kangana Ranaut should not just apologise but the government should also take action because somebody like her doesn’t deserve to be honoured with one of the highest awards of this land.

    Salman Soz said in a Twitter post that some people clapped when Ranaut remarked India’s real independence was in 2014 because 1947 was a charity case.

    He also recalled the millions who “resisted the British, those who were killed or jailed, those who loved India”.

    Ranaut, known for provocative and often inflammatory statements, was once again the centre of debate and ire for her remarks, with politicians across the spectrum, including BJP MP Varun Gandhi, among the host of social media users and others who reacted with outrage for her comments at an event on Wednesday evening.

    BJP’s Pilibhit MP Varun Gandhi shared a video of Ranaut’s remarks on his Twitter handle.

  • ‘Madness or treason’: BJP MP Varun Gandhi’s swipe at Kangana Ranaut after her remarks on freedom

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: BJP MP Varun Gandhi took a swipe at film actor Kangana Ranaut on Thursday for her reported remarks that India received freedom in 2014 and what it got in 1947 was “alms”, and asked if her thinking was madness or treason.

    He also posted a short clip of her remarks during a new channel programme in which she is heard saying in Hindi, “That was not freedom but ‘bheekh’ (alms), and the freedom came in 2014.”

    Ranaut, who was recently given Padma Shri, was apparently referring to the BJP coming to power in 2014.

    She has sparked controversy in the past with her right wing comments and jibes at opposition politicians.

    Slamming her, Gandhi said, “Insulting the sacrifice of Mahatma Gandhi sometime, respecting his killer sometime, and now the disdain for the sacrifices of Mangal Pandey, Rani Laxmibai, Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and lakhs of freedom fighters. Should I call this thinking madness or treason?” 

  • Judge acted judiciously, without bias, says court while rejecting Kangana’s plea in defamation case

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The additional chief metropolitan magistrate court here has held that the Andheri metropolitan magistrate, which is presiding over the defamation case filed by lyricist Javed Akhtar against Kangana Ranaut, has acted “judiciously” and did not show any bias against the actor.

    Just because the court proceeds with the case by following the procedure of law, it does not mean that it is biased against the applicant, additional chief metropolitan magistrate S T Dande said in her order in which she rejected Ranaut’s plea that sought transfer of the case to some other court.

    The additional chief metropolitan magistrate had rejected Ranaut’s petition on October 21, but its detailed order was made available on Saturday.

    The actor had filed the transfer petition last month, saying that she had “lost faith” in the Andheri metropolitan magistrate’s court as it indirectly “threatened” her of issuing a warrant if she failed to appear before it in a bailable offence.

    The petition also alleged that the court was biased against her.

    However, Dande, in her order, ruled that the metropolitan magistrate, 10th court, Andheri, has given a fair opportunity to the accused to remain absent by granting all her exemption applications.

    “I have perused all the orders passed by the Metropolitan Magistrate, Andheri. He has passed the orders judiciously,” she said.

    Moreover, the order passed by the Andheri court was confirmed by the sessions court.

    Further, the high court had dismissed Ranaut’s plea seeking quashing of the criminal defamation proceedings initiated against her by the magistrate, the court said.

    “It shows that Metropolitan Magistrate, Andheri, has acted judiciously and is not biased against the applicant,” the CMM court said.

    “Merely because the court proceeds with the case by following the procedure of law, it does not mean that court is biased against the applicant/accused,” it added.

    It further held that the case cannot be transferred from one court to another on the basis of mere “apprehension”.

    The court said it was of the view that Ranaut has failed to make out a positive, concrete case to show that her apprehension is reasonable.

    “Unless some positive, concrete case is made out showing that there is reasonable apprehension of not getting a fair trial or fair justice from the concerned court, the proceedings cannot be transferred from one court to another on mere vague and general allegations,” it said.

    “If on the basis of false allegation, the matter is transferred, it will affect the morale of the presiding officer,” it added.

    The court ruled that there are no grounds made out for transfer of the case from the metropolitan magistrate’s court, Andheri, to any other court.

    Akhtar (76) had filed the complaint in the Andheri court in November last year, claiming that Ranaut had made defamatory statements against him in a television interview, which allegedly damaged his reputation.

    In his complaint, Akhtar claimed that Ms.

    Ranaut dragged his name during an interview while referring to a ‘coterie’ existing in Bollywood, following the alleged suicide by actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June last year.

    Ranaut has also moved a counter complaint in the Andheri court against Akhtar for alleged “extortion and criminal intimidation” before the metropolitan magistrate court.

  • ‘Divorce culture is growing’: Kangana Ranaut blames ‘Bollywood superstar’ for Samantha-Chaitanya split

    By ANI

    MUMBAI: After actors Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya announced their separation, Kangana Ranaut made a shocking statement blaming one of the Bollywood superstars behind the split.

    Taking to Instagram Story, Kangana penned a note, in which she stated that the divorce happened after Chaitanya came in close contact with Bollywood’s ‘divorce expert’.

    “This south actor who suddenly divorced his wife was married for 4 years and in a relationship with her for more than a decade recently came in contact with a Bollywood superstar who is also known as Bollywood divorce expert…has ruined many women and children lives is now guiding light and agony aunt…so it all went smoothly. This is not a blind item we all know who I am talking about,” she wrote.

    Kangana also expressed her views about a rise in divorce cases in today’s time.

    “Whenever divorce happens fault is always of the man. I may sound orthodox or too judgemental but this is how God has made man and woman, their nature and dynamics. Primitively scientifically, he is a hunter and she is a nurturer. Stop being kind to these brats who change women like clothes and then claim to be their best friends. Yes, out of hundred, yes, one woman can be wrong but that’s the ratio. Shame on these brats who get encouragement from the media and fans. They hail them and judge the woman. Divorce culture is growing like never before,” she added.

    For the unversed, on Saturday, Samantha and Naga Chaitanya announced their break-up via joint statement penned to their fans.

    “After much deliberation and thought, Sam and I have decided to part ways as husband and wife to pursue our own paths. We are fortunate to have a friendship of over a decade that was the very core of our relationship which we believe will always hold a special bond between us. We request our fans, well wishers and the media to support us during this difficult time and give us the privacy we need to move on. Thanking you for your support,” Naga Chaitanya’s post read.

    The two had tied the knot on October 7, 2017. 

  • Opening car door out of courtesy is not part of mandate: Newly-appointed DG on CRPF jawan opening Ranaut’s door

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Reacting to an incident in which a CRPF commando opened Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut’s car door, newly appointed Director-General of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Kuldiep Singh said that opening the doors of the car out of courtesy by a CRPF commando is not in the mandate but if it is done as part of security, it should be done.

    But the DG said he is not aware of the incident has he took charge only yesterday.

    “It depends whether one opens door or not. The motive behind the opening door is to see when it is right for the VIP to move out (of the vehicle), It’s part of VIP security,” the DG said when asked about the incident.

    The DG said he is not aware of the facts of this matter but in general, “Opening doors of the car out of courtesy isn’t in the mandate but if being done as part of security it’s important and should be done.”

    CRPF provides security to 69 VVIPs who include Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi. Also, CRPF is giving security to 13 people in view of the West Bengal Elections.

    The force last year created a separate wing for VVIP security.

    It happened months after taking over the security of VVIPs like Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul Gandhi and others.

    The wing functions from Delhi and an Inspector General Officer handles it.

    The CRPF had asked for a separate VIP sector headquarter and a range along with a training centre in its proposal. 

  • More time for panel to submit report on breach of privilege notices against Arnab, Kangana

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The Maharashtra legislature on Friday extended till the last day of next legislature session the time for the privileges committee to submit its report on breach of privilege notices against journalist Arnab Goswami and Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut.

    A proposal for deadline extension was moved in the Assembly by privileges committee chairman Deepak Kesarkar.

    Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik had submitted the breach of privilege notices against Goswami and Ranaut to the office of the Assembly Speaker on September 7 for their “objectionable” comments.

    Sarnaik had taken objection to Goswami’s comments against chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and other ministers while reporting on the Sushant Singh Rajput death case.

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    The breach of privilege notice against Ranaut was for comparing Mumbai with Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK).

    Shiv Sena MLC Manisha Kayande had moved the breach of privilege motion in the Legislative Council against Republic TV editor-in-chief Goswami on September 8 last year.

    Similarly, Congress MLC Ashok alias Bhai Jagtap had moved a motion against Ranaut on the same day, accusing her of making objectionable remarks about Mumbai and the city police.

    The actress last year waded into a controversy after she likened Mumbai to POK and also stated that she feared the Mumbai police more than the movie mafia.

    The two houses extended the time of the privileges committee to submit its report on the notices till the end of the next legislature session.

  • Mumbai Police submit report in court on probe against Kangana on ‘hateful’ social media posts

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Mumbai Police on Thursday submitted before a magistrate court a report of their inquiry into a complaint against actor Kangana Ranaut and her sister for posting alleged hateful messages on social media.

    In October last year, the magistrate court in Mumbai asked suburban Amboli police to conduct an inquiry into a private complaint, filed by lawyer AliKashif Khan Deshmukh, related to the alleged objectionable messages and file a report by December 5.

    The police failed to submit their report within the time-frame given by the court.

    The court later extended the deadline which, too, was missed.

    During a hearing on February 5, the court asked the police to submit a progress report on the inquiry it had ordered into the complaint against Ranaut and her sister and posted the matter for further hearing on March 4.

    The police on Thursday filed a report of their probe into the matter. The court heard the arguments and kept the matter for orders on April 5.

    According to the complaint, Ranaut’s sister Rangoli Chandel had posted an objectionable message on Twitter in April last year, targeting a particular community, following which her account was suspended.

    Ranaut then posted a video in support of her sister and in the clip allegedly referred to members of a particular community as “terrorists”, the complainant said, seeking a police investigation and action against the two.