BJP backs Kangana Ranaut, Shiv Sena terms it conspiracy to separate Mumbai; Pawar says no need to take her seriously
After distancing itself from actor Kangana Ranaut’s remarks about Mumbai and city police, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday backed her and slammed Shiv Sena for the vengeful demolition of her office. The Sena said that BJP’s support to Kangana is a conspiracy to ultimately separate Mumbai from Maharashtra.
On Wednesday, BMC demolished illegal structural changes allegedly carried out at the actor’s office at Pali Hill. Sena, which is locked in a verbal spat with the Hindi film actor, controls the Mumbai civic body for more than two decades.
Former chief minister and leader of Opposition, Devendra Fadnavis termed BMC’s demolition of Ranaut’s office as `state-sponsored terrorism’. “While one cannot support the statement made against Mumbai police or Maharashtra, one also cannot support such action by the government. It maligns the entire state in the country. Until yesterday, this construction was legal, only because someone spoke about you, you take action and point to illegalities. Then what about other illegal constructions in the city. This is state-sponsored terrorism,” said Fadnavis.
Fadnavis also termed Thackeray led government as the most scared and undemocratic government in the history of Maharashtra. BJP chief Chandrakant Patil also slammed the government and asked Sena leadership to keep Sena MP Sanjay Raut under control. “This `dadagiri’ won’t work. Kangana, as an Indian, can travel wherever she wants to. Is this how a woman is respected? What is the language that is being used? Raut should be kept under control,” said Patil.
Meanwhile, in an embarrassment for the Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said that the timing of the action taken by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation gave rise to “doubts” over it. He also said that there was no need to take Ranaut seriously.
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai on the statements made by Ranaut in the last few days, Pawar said, “We are giving too much importance to the people making such statements. One must understand the impact of such statements on the people at large.”
Pawar said he had no information about the legality of the construction at Ranaut’s office which was demolished by the BMC today, but said the action has allowed the people to raise doubt indicating that it could have been avoided.
“I don’t know if there was any illegal structure; I read about it only in the newspapers. It won’t be appropriate to comment on this without having proper information. Illegal work is not a new thing in Mumbai. However, BMC’s action in the backdrop of the ongoing situation allows people to raise doubt over it. BMC officials have their own rules and may have found it appropriate to take the action,” the veteran leader said.
Sena on Wednesday took on the Union home ministry for providing Y-plus security to actor Kangana Ranaut calling it an insult to Mumbai and its police. In an editorial in Sena mouthpiece, Saamana published on Wednesday, the party alleged that the BJP’s support to the actor looked like a conspiracy to ultimately separate Mumbai from Maharashtra.
“There is always a danger to Mumbai because those who support disrespect to ‘Mumbadevi’ are sitting in Delhi and Maharashtra’s assembly… First, defame Mumbai, then weaken it. Make Mumbai completely bankrupt and then one day separate it from Maharashtra. It is seen that these steps are being taken again,” the Saamana editorial said. It added, Comparing Mumbai to Pakistan occupied Kashmir and insulting the khaki uniform by calling Mumbai police as mafias are signs of a disturbed mindset…”
The editorial, without naming the actor referred to her as a “supari actor”. The Sena mouthpiece added the Maharashtra unit of BJP should have not supported the ones who referred to Maharashtra chief minister in a disrespectful manner.