News Analysis India

Tag: Kangana Ranaut

  • Ex-SAD leader sends legal notice to Twitter to delete Kangana’s defamatory tweet against farmers

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Manjit Singh GK has sent a legal notice to social media giant Twitter asking it to immediately delete the account of Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut for tweeting alleged defamatory statements against farmers.

    The legal notice, which was sent to the Managing Director of Twitter in Maharashtra on Tuesday through e-mail, said the posts by the actress are factually incorrect and are maligning or tarnishing the image, reputation and goodwill of farmers and the entire Sikh community associated with them.

    The notice, sent through advocate Naginder Benipal, said it was given for attacking the three farm laws passed by the Central Government with the assent of the President.

    Referring to Ranaut’s tweet, it said that on February 2, she had replied to a tweet of international pop star Ms.Rihanna who had tweeted “why aren’t we talking about this?! #FarmersProtest”.

    In her reply, Ranaut tweeted “No one is talking about it because they are not farmers they are terrorists who are trying to divide India, so that China can take over our vulnerable broken nation and make it a Chinese colony much like USA.”

    The notice claimed that the actress was using her fan following to try and defame the farmers and the Sikh community so associated with it and has declared them anti-national by claiming them to be terrorists who are trying to weaken the strength and protection of the country.

    “My client is very concerned and serious in protecting the integrity of the nation, the farmers and the entire Sikh community and will not accept such derogatory, false and malicious statements against the farmers,” Benipal said in the notice.

    It said Singh, President of Jagg Asra Guru Ott (JAGO) a religious party, has taken objection to the actress’ act and he is constrained to issue this legal notice to Twitter to delete her account immediately to stop her from harming the peace of the nation.

    “In the light of the aforesaid, it is requested that the said tweets be taken down/ blocked off from your web portal with immediate effect. The said defamatory/ disparaging/ denigrating (statements) have already been reported on your web portal as per the procedure prescribed albeit they are available for public viewership till date.

    Kindly note, that if the said tweets are not take down and her account is not blocked from your platform, then you shall be considered liable for the defamatory content and as such we reserve our right to initiate appropriate legal proceedings as per law which shall be at your sole risk and consequences,” the notice said.

    It also said that if the company fails to comply with the notice, it shall be solely at its risk and consequences and that Singh would be entitled to seek recourse of all legal remedies.

  • Lilly Singh, Jay Sean, other celebrities join Rihanna in extending support to farmers’ protest in India

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: After American pop star Rihanna’s recent tweet surrounding the farmers’ protest in India, singer-songwriter Jay Sean has expressed his support for farmers, who have been protesting against the Centre’s new agri laws.

    The 39-year-old singer shared a photo from the farmers’ protest on Instagram and called it “one of the largest protests ever in history”.

    “It’s one of the largest protests EVER IN HISTORY, and hardly any mainstream coverage. I live in the US and I’ve barely seen it on the news or mainstream media. I don’t know what needs to be done to raise more awareness and have more eyes on this but I’ve seen videos that are far too graphic and heartbreaking to post,” the ‘Eyes on You’ hitmaker wrote.

    “People that are old enough to be my grandparents being trampled over with no remorse or regard. Pls go to my story where I will post a petition link and something actionable. #istandwithfarmers #farmersprotest,” he added.

    This post comes after Rihanna extended support to farmers protesting on the borders of India’s capital against the three agriculture laws introduced by the Central government. Apart from Rihanna, several other international celebrities such as Amanda Cerny, Lilly Singh, Greta Thunberg came out in support of the farmers.

    Rihanna had shared a news report on Tuesday that mentioned the internet shut down in parts of India and tweeted, “why aren’t we talking about this?! #FarmersProtest.”

    Reacting to Rihanna’s viral tweet, Lilly Singh wrote, “Yes! Thank you so much @rihanna. This is a humanity issue! #IStandWithFarmers and this narrative is TIRED.”

    Yes! Thank you so much @rihanna. This is a humanity issue! #IStandWithFarmers and this narrative is TIRED. https://t.co/H0h5EM7mNW
    — Lilly // #LateWithLilly (@Lilly) February 2, 2021

    Amanda Cerny posted a photo of women farmers on Instagram and in the caption, she wrote, “The world is watching. You don’t have to be Indian or Punjabi or South Asian to understand the issue. All you have to do is care about humanity. Always demand freedom of speech, freedom of press, basic human and civil rights-equity and dignity for workers. #FarmersProtest #internetshutdown”

    Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg had also extended her support to the farmers, saying that she stands in solidarity with the farmers. “We stand in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India,” Thunberg wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.

    Several other celebrities including Priyanka Chopra, Sonam Kapoor, Diljit Dosanjh, have also spoken in support of the farmers.

    On the other hand, actor Kangana Ranaut, who had supported farm laws called Rihanna a “fool” and said that the protestors were not farmers but “terrorists who are trying to divide India”.

    “No one is talking about it because they are not farmers they are terrorists who are trying to divide India, so that China can take over our vulnerable broken nation and make it a Chinese colony much like the USA… Sit down you fool, we are not selling our nation like you dummies,” Kangana tweeted on Tuesday.

    No one is talking about it because they are not farmers they are terrorists who are trying to divide India, so that China can take over our vulnerable broken nation and make it a Chinese colony much like USA…Sit down you fool, we are not selling our nation like you dummies. https://t.co/OIAD5Pa61a
    — Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) February 2, 2021

    Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws: Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

  • `Illegal’ merger of flats by Kangana Ranaut: HC continues interim protection till February 5

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday continued an interim order passed by a lower court restraining the Mumbai civic body from taking action against alleged irregularities at actor Kangana Ranaut’s flats here till February 5.

    The high court directed her to inform by that date if she would apply to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) seeking regularization of alleged unauthorized changes.

    The BMC in March 2018 had issued a notice to Ranaut for alleged illegal merger of three flats owned by her at Orchid Breeze building in suburban Khar.

    The Dindoshi civil court dismissed her suit against the notice in December 2020, so she moved the HC.

    The civil court, while dismissing the suit, had noted that there was “grave violation of the sanctioned plan” while amalgamating the three flats.

    The actor’s lawyer Birendra Saraf on Tuesday told the high court that “vendetta” was being pursued against her.

    The illegal construction had been made by the developer and not Ranaut, he contended.

    Senior counsel Aspi Chinoy and advocate Joel Carlos, appearing for the BMC, argued that there were at least eight irregularities in the flat.

    Advocate Saraf then told the court that he would take instructions from the actor on whether she was willing to approach the BMC seeking regularization.

    In the meanwhile, the court should grant her protection from any coercive action, he said.

    The high court asked BMC lawyers if there was any bar for regularization.

    Advocate Chinoy said an application for regularization is normally filed within 30 days from receiving the notice.

    “In this case, she is already three years late. But the court can condone the delay,” the lawyer said.

    The court then adjourned the hearing to Friday.

    “The civil court order dated December 22, 2020 shall remain in abeyance until February 5 and the interim order (about not taking coercive action) shall continue till then,” the court said.

    Ranaut’s petition said since she bought the flats in 2013 she had not made any structural changes.

    She had carried out only “certain cosmetic changes”, said the appeal filed through advocates Aseem Naphade, Monisha Bhangale and Prasanna Bhangale.

    Last year, the BMC had initiated demolition of alleged unauthorized construction at Ranaut’s bungalow in Pali Hill area.

    The HC held the BMC’s action illegal and malicious.

  • Sedition case: HC extends protection from arrest granted to Kangana Ranaut, sister

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Monday extended till February 15 the interim protection from arrest granted to actor Kangana Ranaut and her sister Rangoli Chandel in connection with an FIR registered against them by Mumbai police on sedition and other charges following their tweets.

    A bench of Justices SS Shinde and Manish Pitale adjourned further hearing on the plea filed by Ranaut and her sister, challenging the order of the Bandra magistrate to initiate criminal proceedings against them based on the above FIR, and subsequent summons of the Mumbai Police over the same.

    The bench said, since the hearing had been adjourned, the interim protection granted to the duo would automatically be extended till the next date.

    The FIR was registered in October last year following orders from the magistrate court in Bandra after Munawwar Ali Sayyad, a casting director and fitness trainer, filed a complaint citing some tweets and statements made allegedly by Ranaut and her sister.

    He sought that the court direct the police to register an FIR against the sisters under various charges, including sedition.

    In an affidavit filed in HC on Monday through his counsel Rizwan Merchant, Sayyad said Ranaut and her sister Rangoli promoted “hatred and contempt, and excited disaffection towards the Maharashtra government,” through their tweets.

    Sayyad said the sisters had also repeatedly promoted enmity between communities through their remarks.

    He said in the affidavit that the magistrate’s court was, therefore, justified in directing the police to initiate proceedings and invoke the offence of sedition under section 124A of the IPC against them.

    In his complaint in the Bandra court, Sayyad had also said Ranaut, through her tweets and television interviews, had continuously defamed the Hindi film industry by portraying Bollywood as a hub of nepotism, favouritism, drug addicts, communally biased and murderers, etc.

    Earlier this month, Sayyad had filed an application seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against Ranaut for allegedly breaching a previous statement made in the High Court.

    He had said in the plea that on November 24, Ranaut had given an undertaking in HC that she will not make statements pertaining to the Mumbai police’s investigation into the sedition case filed against her.

    However, on January 8, just before she went to the police station, she tweeted a video in which she is speaking to her fans about the investigation.

    HC is now hearing Ranaut’s plea against the Bandra court, and Sayyad’s contempt application together.

  • Kangana backs anti-conversion law; backs Saudi-style hanging for rape

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut on Saturday came out in support of the anti-conversion ordinance brought in by the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, saying it would help the victims of fraudulent marriages.

    The actor, often in news because of controversial social media posts, also appeared to favour public executions such as in Saudi Arabia to curb crimes like gang-rape.

    Governor Anandiben Patel earlier in the day gave assent to an ordinance of MP government which penalizes religious conversions through fraudulent means including those for the sake of marriage.

    The law provides for as much as 10 years in prison for fraudulent conversions in some cases.

    “This is a very good law. Many people have faced problems. The law has been made for such people,” she told reporters.

    “This type of law should be made. It is a very good step the government has finally taken,” Ranaut, here for a film shoot, said to a query.

    Asked about rising cases of rape in the country, the actor said trials of such cases go on for long and victims get harassed in the process.

    “They have the burden to prove the charges against the accused. More than half the accused get acquitted,” she said.

    “Many countries like Saudi hang (the accused) in public squares,” she said, adding “until we set five-six such examples, until tough action is not taken (such crimes will not stop). because people get away with such crimes,” Ranaut said.

  • Sedition case: Kangana Ranaut reaches Bandra police station

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut on Friday reached the Bandra police station here to record her statement in a case related to sedition and other charges.

    Ranaut, who has been provided Y-plus category security of CRPF personnel, arrived at the police station in suburban Mumbai around 1 pm along with her advocate amid heavy media presence.

    The Bandra police had registered an FIR against Ranaut and her sister Rangoli Chandel for allegedly promoting enmity between communities through their remarks in October, an official said.

    The FIR was registered following orders from a magistrates court in Bandra.

    The court had directed the police to carry out an inquiry against Ranaut and her sister after a complaint was lodged against them for allegedly trying to create hatred and communal tension through their social media posts.

    Munawwar Ali Sayyad, a casting director and fitness trainer, had filed the complaint referring to tweets and other statements of Ranaut and her sister.

    They were booked under IPC sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race), 295-A (deliberate acts hurting religious sentiments) and 124-A (sedition), 34 (common intention).

    Earlier, the Mumbai police had sent notices three times asking them to appear for recording their statements in the case.

    The Bombay High Court in November had granted interim protection from arrest to Kangana and her sister, and directed them to appear before the police on January 8.