Ramdas Athawale said he supported Kangana Ranaut’s stance on Sushant Singh Rajput. (Proceedings)
Mumbai:
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Friday spoke in favor of Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut, who said Mumbai feels “like Pakistani-occupied Kashmir”, and criticized Shiv Sena for saying the movie star does not I should go back to the city.
Speaking to the ANI news agency, Athawale, president of the Republican part of India and an ally of the BJP that governs the center, said that while he did not know the whole truth, the comments of Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut were “absolutely unnecessary. “. .
“Raut is a good friend of mine. He is a leader of Shiv Sena, a spokesman for the party, and the editor of Saamana. I don’t know the whole truth, but if he has threatened the actress, it is quite unfortunate. Everyone with Ranaut and his family in his fight for justice for Sushant Singh Rajput, “Athawale said.
The BJP distanced itself from Ms Ranaut’s comments, but some leaders condemned Shiv Sena’s protests against the actor.
The Shiv Sena’s women’s wing had held protests against her in Mumbai and Thane, shouting slogans and putting slippers on her photographs and effigies.
On Twitter, the wife of the former chief minister and BJP leader, Devendra Fadnavis, Amruta Fadnavis, said: “We may not agree with what someone has to say, but we must defend the right to express ourselves in democracy! expression, freedom of belief, freedom of movement, freedom of the press – it can’t be suppressed! We may have arguments against it, but hitting posters of critics with chappals is a new low. “
Former minister of state and BJP leader Ashish Shelar, meanwhile, said: “We completely disagree with Kangana’s comments about Mumbai and the residents of this city. I also want to ask Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut not to attack the BJP from the shoulders of actor Ranaut “.
Kangana Ranaut sparked widespread outrage on Thursday for saying the city “felt like Pakistani-occupied Kashmir” and redoubled the remarks a day later, comparing the ruling coalition to the “Taliban.”
Maharashtra Interior Minister Anil Deshmukh said she had no right to stay in Mumbai if she felt unsafe and had such disparaging things to say for the police force that was sacrificing their lives in times of the coronavirus pandemic.
Kangana Ranaut, who openly supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, who is in opposition in Maharashtra, has been attacking the government and police for weeks over the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June.
(With contributions from ANI)
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