Aurangabad:
The Shiv Sena’s Aurangabad city unit on Monday submitted a memorandum to the police seeking registration of an offence against actress Kangana Ranaut for her “Mumbai feels like PoK” remarks. A delegation of the Shiv Sena submitted the memorandum to the CIDCO police station in Aurangabad city in central Maharashtra.
In a related development in Mumbai, a legal notice was sent to Ranaut on Monday by a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Pradeep Lonandkar, seeking a public apology over her controversial tweets on Mumbai and its police. The Shiv Sena, which heads the ruling MVA in the state, said Ranaut’s remarks have hurt the sentiments of the people of Maharashtra and sought action against her besides an apology.
In the memorandum, Sena Aurangabad city unit president Balasaheb Thorat alleged that Ranaut has compared Mumbai with Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), thereby “hurting sentiments of 13 crore Maharashtrians”. Her remarks are also an insult to 107 martyrs who laid down their lives for creation of Maharashtra, the party said.
The Bollywood actor should apologise for her offensive statements, it said. When contacted, Thorat told PTI, “Her statements are unfortunate. We have demanded that the police administration register an offence against Kangana Ranaut.” A CIDCO police station officer said, “We have received a letter from the city Shiv Sena.” Meanwhile, in the legal notice, Lonandkar has asked the actor to delete the derogatory and defamatory posts tweeted by her on September 1 and 2 comparing Mumbai to PoK and against the Mumbai police and its commissioner.
The notice said the allegations levelled by Ranaut that the city commissioner of police was “intimidating” her and “encouraging social bullying” against her are completely false, frivolous, baseless and unsubstantiated. The commissioner of police, in reply to your (Ranaut) tweet, said that the alleged insulting tweet has not been liked by his handle and that the cyber police has been asked to examine the fabricated screenshot, the notice sent through solicitor Mohan Jayakar said.
It is extremely shocking and unfortunate that you have also posted derogatory tweets about Mumbai comparing it with POK, the notice said. The notice has sought Ranaut to delete her tweets and issue a public statement apologising to the Commissioner of Police, Mumbai and the Mumbai police.
In the event you fail to comply with this, our client (Lonandkar) will be constrained to adopt appropriate legal proceedings against you, including civil and criminal. “Our client calls upon you to pay a sum of Rs 50 crore which should be deposited with the Mumbai Police Welfare Fund or the Mumbai Police Foundation, the notice said.
