Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said on Sunday he will apologise to Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut only if she says sorry to Maharashtra for “calling Mumbai a mini Pakistan” amid calls for the politician to back down.
The war of words between the Rajya Sabha member and Bollywood actor erupted over Kangana Ranaut’s comment about “Mumbai feeling like Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir” on Thursday. She had also said that she feared Mumbai Police more than what she has dubbed as ‘movie mafia’.
Raut in his weekly editorial in Saamana – the Sena’s mouthpiece – on Thursday had hit back and asked Ranaut not to return to Mumbai for criticising Mumbai Police.
“If that girl (Actor Kangana Ranaut) will apologise to Maharashtra, then I will think about it (of apologising). She calls Mumbai a mini Pakistan. Does she have the courage to say the same about Ahmedabad?” Raut was quoted as saying by news agency ANI on Sunday.
“This issue concerns the pride of Maharashtra and there will be no compromise on this front. Ranaut needs to apologise for her PoK remarks or she will face the music from our women’s wing,” he had said in his editorial.
{{/usCountry}}“This issue concerns the pride of Maharashtra and there will be no compromise on this front. Ranaut needs to apologise for her PoK remarks or she will face the music from our women’s wing,” he had said in his editorial.
{{/usCountry}}The verbal duel had escalated on Saturday after Ranaut reacted to a Twitter user who claimed that the actor had not insulted Maratha king Shivaji and had called out “freedom of speech warriors” for not speaking up for her.
“In 2008 Movie Mafia declared me a Psycho, in 2016 they called me a Witch and Stalker in 2020 Maharashtra Minister publicity gave me the title of Haramkhor Ladki, because I said after a murder I feel unsafe in Mumbai, where are INTOLERANCE debate warriors?” Ranaut had tweeted from her team’s account.
Following this, Raut had advised Ranaut to use her own social media handle and not run it through the IT cell of a political party.