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Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur condemns Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray’s remarks about Himachal being home to ganja

Uddhav Thackeray had indirectly attacked actor Kangana Ranaut, who belongs to HP, saying “Ganja (cannabis) fields are in your state, not Maharashtra”.

Updated on: Oct 27, 2020, 18:09:00 IST
Hindustan Times, Shimla | By , Shimla
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Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur on Tuesday came out in defence of Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut, who belongs to Himachal Pradesh, and took on his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray for his recent remark that the hill state was home to ganja (cannabis).

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and his Himachal Pradesh counterpart Jai Ram Thakur. (HT Photo)
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and his Himachal Pradesh counterpart Jai Ram Thakur. (HT Photo)

“Himachal Pradesh is Dev Bhoomi and Uddhav’s remarks about the state are condemnable,” Thakur said, reacting to the Maharashtra CM’s derogatory comments.

Kangana has been engaged in a war of words with the Maharashtra government ever since she compared Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Although Uddhav did not take any names during an address to Shiv Sena supporters on Dussehra, he indirectly attacked Kangana for painting Mumbai in poor light by calling it a hub of drugs despite the city being the source of her livelihood.

Thackeray defended Mumbai Police and said, “Mumbai is PoK, there are drug addicts everywhere – they are painting such a picture. They don’t know in our house we grow tulsi (basil), not ganja. Ganja fields are in your state, you know where, not in our Maharashtra.”

Kangana, who is at her Manali home at present, replied to Thackeray, saying, “Chief minister you are a very petty person. Himachal is called Dev Bhoomi as it has the maximum number of temples and zero crime rate. Yes, it has a very fertile land, it grows apples, kiwis, pomegranate, strawberries. One can grow anything here. You being a leader having such vengeful, myopic and ill-informed views about a state, which has been the abode of Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati along with saints such as Markandeya and Manu Rishi! The Pandavas spent a large part of their exile in Himachal Pradesh.”

  • Gaurav Bisht
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Gaurav Bisht

    Gaurav Bisht heads Hindustan Times’ Himachal bureau. He covers politics in the hill state and other issues concerning the masses.