Ramdas Athawale’s party is an ally of the BJP in the Center and in Maharashtra (Archive)
Mumbai:
RPI (A) workers will provide protection to actress Kangana Ranaut when she arrives in Mumbai, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said Tuesday.
The actress is embroiled in a bitter war of words with the ruler Shiv Sena over his comments on the Mumbai Police following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.
After Sena MP Sanjay Raut allegedly asked Ranaut not to return to Mumbai for comparing the city to Pakistani-occupied Kashmir (Pok), the actress had challenged anyone to stop her when she arrived here on September 9.
“RPI (A) workers have prepared to protect Ranaut, who is scheduled to arrive in Mumbai on Wednesday. Our party workers will offer him protection at the airport and at his residence,” Athawale said in a statement.
Athawale’s party is an ally of the BJP in the Center and in Maharashtra.
Earlier, Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik had launched a slapping threat after the actress challenged anyone to stop her when she returned to Mumbai.
The Center decided on Monday to provide Y-plus security for the actress.
While attacking the Sena-led government of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Athawale said: “Ranaut did not criticize the city of Mumbai, but the state government. It is against democratic principles to oppose your right to live here on the grounds of critical comments against the government. She has all the rights to live here in Mumbai. “
The Union minister also claimed that Ranaut had thanked him for offering him protection in Mumbai.
“Shiv Sena’s spokesman, Sanjay Raut, should not have threatened the actress for her right to live in Mumbai,” he added.
The problem started after the actress said that she did not trust the Mumbai police after the Rajput’s death and that she feared them more than the “movie mafia”.
In reaction to his comment, Sanjay Raut reportedly said: “We kindly ask you not to come to Mumbai. This is nothing more than an insult to the Mumbai police.”
Responding, Ranaut tweeted: “Why does Mumbai feel like Pakistani-occupied Kashmir?”
The tweet provoked a strong reaction from the leaders of the Seine and the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
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