Updated: September 9, 2020 9:26:14 pm
Kangna Ranaut at Chandigarh airport on Wednesday. (Express photo by Jasbir Malhi)
Amid great drama and media frenzy, Bollywood star Kangana Ranaut, who has been involved in a dispute with Shiv Sena over his recent comments comparing Mumbai to PoK, returned to the city even as the Bombay High Court suspended the process. Demolition campaign initiated by BMC for alleged illegal construction at the actor’s Pali Hill office.
Upon arrival from his hometown in Himachal Pradesh, Kangana, who has been given Y-plus category security from the Center, he fired a new round at Maharashtra’s chief minister, Uddhav Thackeray, saying that his “ego will be destroyed” in the same way that his house in Bandra was demolished.
“Uddhav Thackeray tujhe kya lagta hai? (What do you think?) Today they demolished my house, tomorrow your arrogance will collapse. This is the wheel of time, it keeps changing, “he said in a video message.
Kangana Ranaut and Shiv Sena’s leader Sanjay Raut have been embroiled in a war of words after the actress previously compared “Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)” and said she was “afraid of the Mumbai police. more than the mafia in the movie ”.
Hours earlier, a team from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished “illegal alterations” at the actress’s Pali Hill bungalow in Bandra with a bulldozer and excavators. However, the HC expressed its displeasure and suspended the demolition process after Ranaut moved the court challenging the notice issued by the Mumbai civic body. Ranaut had bought the bungalow in 2017 and renovated it in January of this year.
On Tuesday, the BMC had issued a “suspension of work” notice to Ranaut to alleged illegal construction, under section 354 (A) of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act, to stop work in progress within the facilities and produce permits for illegal construction. The reactions of political leaders in support and opposition to the actor kept coming.
Here’s how the events unfolded throughout the day:
BMC starts demolition, then stops
The BMC began demolition work shortly after 11 a.m. A BMC team arrived at the bungalow on Pali Hill in Bandra with a bulldozer and excavators and demolished modifications made without the approval of the civic body.
BMC officials arrived this morning to demolish parts of his bungalow even as the actor was on his way to Mumbai. (Express photo by Amit Chakravarty)
Soon after, Ranaut tweeted: “I am never wrong and my enemies prove time and time again that this is why my Mumbai is POK now.” He also posted photos of BMC staff involved in demolition work on the bungalow, which he had bought for Rs 20 crore in 2017.
Before demolition work on Wednesday, the BMC posted a second notice outside his bungalow, informing him of the action the civic body was taking, an official told PTI.
Kangana then moved to the Bombay High Court, challenging the notice issued by the Mumbai civic body for “illegal construction” on his bungalow and requested a stay of the demolition process.
Later that day, a bench in the division of Justices SJ Kathawalla and RI Chagla suspended the demolition process and ordered the civic body to submit an affidavit in response to the guilty plea. The court published the matter for hearing on Thursday.
“We cannot fail to mention here that if the MCGM acted with similar rapidity to the numerous unauthorized constructions, the City would be a completely different place to live,” the bank said.
“The corporation seems to have woken up during the night from its slumber, issued a notice to the petitioner (Ranaut), also when he is out of state, instructing him to respond within 24 hours, and not granting him more time, despite his request, and proceeding to demolish said premises after 24 hours … although the way in which the BMC has proceeded to begin the demolition work of said premises, prima facie does not appear to be in good faith and smells of bad faith, “said the Bank. .
Babur and his army 🙂#democracy pic.twitter.com/L5wiUoNqhl
– Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 9, 2020
Kangana said the civic body should focus on the poor condition of the roads rather than targeting his bungalow. “BMC, this is Mumbai Road and all you care about is the DEMOLITION of the home of an actress who is exposing the mob. Congratulations to you..!! #DeathOfDemocracy, ”Kangana tweeted. She also posted a photo of a Mumbai road riddled with several potholes.
Shiv Sena shows black flags to Kangana
Kangana arrived at Chandigarh airport in the morning to board a commercial flight to Mumbai. The ‘Queen’ actor arrived in Mumbai at 2:30 pm and was greeted with black flags and slogans from protesting Shiv Sena workers. But there was also support from RPI (A) workers and Karni Sena, who also met at the airport.
Later, he posted a video message on his social media, addressing Maharashtra’s chief minister and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, where he said that his “ego will be destroyed” in the same way that his house in Bandra was demolished.
Kangna Ranaut in Chandigarh amid high security on September 9, 2020 (Express photo: Jasbir Malhi)
“Uddhav Thackeray, ‘tujhe kya lagta hai’ (what do you think)? You think you have taken great revenge by destroying my house in collusion with the movie mafia. Today my house is destroyed, tomorrow it will be your ego. Do the wheels of time keep turning? she said in a video message in Hindi.
“Uddhav Thackeray, this cruelty and terrorism, it’s good that it happened to me because it has some meaning,” he said in the video.
तुमने जो किया अच्छा किया 🙂#DeathOfDemocracy pic.twitter.com/TBZiYytSEw
– Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 9, 2020
The actress said she was working on a project on Ayodhya, but now she understands the pain of the Kashmiri pandits and will also make a film about their plight. “… Also the government has banned any demolition on Covid until September 30, Bullywood now look at what fascism looks like #DeathOfDemocracy #KanganaRanaut,” the actor tweeted.
Amid a dispute over BMC’s demolition of parts of Ranaut’s Pali Hill office, NCP Supreme Sharad Pawar said Wednesday that illegal construction in Mumbai was nothing new and that the civic body’s action in view of the current situation “gives room to create doubts in people’s minds.”
“I don’t have much information about the action taken by the BMC. However, illegal construction in Mumbai is not new. In view of the current situation, taking action gives room to create doubts in people’s minds. The BMC has its own rules and officials may have taken action based on what they felt was correct, ”said Pawar, whose party is part of the ruling alliance with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.
Without naming the Bollywood actress, Pawar also said that the statements made by Ranaut were being given undue importance, claiming that people were not taking her comments seriously.
“We give undue importance to the people who make such statements. We need to see the impact of such statements. In my opinion, people don’t take those comments seriously. The people of Mumbai and Maharashtra know the efficiency of the Mumbai police, ”he said.
“If someone talks of equivalence with Pakistan, there is no need to take the person seriously and there is no need to pay attention to him,” Pawar said.
BJP and Shiv Sena react to the order from Bombay HC
BJP MLA Ashish Shelar said Shiv Sena controlled BMC showed promptness in demolishing parts of the actress’s bungalow. “The action was taken as revenge,” said the PTI, quoted by him.
He asked the BMC why no action was taken last year when the structure was built, if it is illegal. “This shows that he will be saved if he comes with us (the ruling party). Action will be taken if you don’t. That is your focus. The Thackeray-led MVA government is playing the politics of vendetta, ”Shelar alleged.
He also said that illegal buildings have been erected a few meters from the prime minister’s residence. “But we don’t see any action being taken there. It is regrettable that action is taken only selectively. This is a selfish government, ”he said.
BJP Senior Leader Subramanian Swamy tweeted: “Tell Kangana to keep the faith. We are with her in this fight ”.
Maharashtra NCP President and Irrigation Minister Jayant Patil tweeted that some ‘people’ comparing “this great city and our police force with that of Pakistan is extravagant” and is only to “gain publicity and attention.”
“It is painful to meet people who are not grateful for what Mumbai and Maharashtra have to offer, in terms of opportunities, safety and tolerance for women,” she said.
“Mumbai is the mother who does not discriminate. Let us all be respectful of the spirit of Mumbai and the dignity of the elected officials of the state, ”he added.
It is painful to meet people who are not grateful for what Mumbai and Maharashtra have to offer, in terms of opportunities, safety and tolerance for women.#UddhavThackeray#BMCMumbai
– Jayant Patil (@Jayant_R_Patil) September 9, 2020
Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh’s chief minister, Jai Ram Thakur, condemned BMC’s action, saying that she “is a daughter” of the state and that she should get a “proper atmosphere” to work in her field.
Speaking at the State Assembly, Thakur said that her government has provided security at Ranaut’s residence in Manali and that 11 CRPF commandos will accompany her wherever she goes in the country as part of the Y-plus security provided by the Center. . Himachal Pradesh will do everything possible to ensure their safety, he added.
“Kangana is a daughter of Himachal Pradesh and has brought laurels not only to the state but to the whole country,” he told the assembly, adding that he should get a suitable environment to work in his field.
Kangana’s lawyer says BMC lies about illegal construction
Kangana’s lawyer, Rizwan Siddiqui, claimed that BMC was lying about the illegal construction of the bungalow. “The BMC is lying. He’s lying (about the illegal construction in the bungalow). They said they have given notice of work stoppage. But that notice is given when the construction process is underway ”, quoted the PTI.
“There is no construction at the site. It was finished about a year and a half ago, ”he added.
Siddiqui said that BMC officials did not stop the process even after they were told that Kangana had moved the Bombay High Court against the demolition.
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