Kangana Ranaut has been in the headlines the past few weeks for vocally sharing her thoughts on the political scenario in Mumbai. The Maharashtra government led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has been at the receiving end of criticism from Ranaut time and again. Most recently, the Queen actor lashed out at the government, on November 4, after senior journalist Arnab Goswami was arrested from his residence by the Mumbai Police. Through a video statement on Twitter, Ranaut questioned the Maharashtra government over Goswami's alleged "assault" by the police amid claims of suppressing "free speech."
The spat between Ranaut and Thackeray, which publicly began in September with a #KanganaVsUddhav Twitter trend has now snowballed into an uglier consolidation with a war of words that is fast escalating.
Here is a timeline of eight things to know about all that has transpired between the actor and the politician:
1. Ranaut Criticises Mumbai Police, Shiv Sena Responds
On September 1, Ranaut's Twitter handle alleged that the Commissioner of Mumbai Police “liked” a tweet that was “derogatory” to her. She further wrote, “You are a big sham in the name of police force...trying to prove victim a criminal seems your old dhandha, don’t you dare to lie @MumbaiPolice, don’t you dare ..”
Following her repeated remarks about the Mumbai Police, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut reportedly wrote, “We kindly request her not to come to Mumbai. This is nothing but an insult to Mumbai police. The Home Ministry should take action over it.”
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2. Ranaut Compares Mumbai To POK, Bollywood Defends
Ranaut, who was then in Himachal Pradesh, responded to Raut on Twitter saying, “Sanjay Raut Shiv Sena leader has given me an open threat and asked me not to come back to Mumbai, after Aazadi graffitis in Mumbai streets and now open threats, why Mumbai is feeling like Pakistan occupied Kashmir?”
Her analogy led to a furore on social media, enraging people who call the city their home. Many actors from the industry, who had until then remained silent on Ranaut's claims of a "drug nexus" in Bollywood, came out in defence of Mumbai, expressing solidarity with the police force as well.
According to news reports, Raut even called Ranaut "haraamkhor" following her POK comment. She retaliated with a संजय जी मुझे अभिव्यक्ति की पूरी आज़ादी है
मुझे अपने देश में कहीं भी जाने की आज़ादी है ।
मैं आज़ाद हूँ । pic.twitter.com/773n8XDESI
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 6, 2020 statement bringing to light the sexism inherent in Raut's abuse.
3. BMC Partially Demolishes Ranaut's Mumbai Office
On September 8, a day before Ranaut was to land in Mumbai from Himachal Pradesh, the city's civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) served a “stop work” notice to her for alleged illegal construction at her office in Bandra West. BMC asked her to show permission documents for the renovation work at her office, Manikarnika Films, within 24 hours.
When Ranaut landed in Mumbai on September 9, flanked by Y-Plus category, the BMC had already begun demolition work at her office. Subsequently, the Bombay High Court ordered a “status quo”, passing a stay order on the demolition work being carried out on her property.
Following the event, Ranaut released a video statement, this time addressing Shiv Sena head Thackeray directly, and accused him of targeting her in conjunction with the "film mafia." She termed the demolition of her office as the "Death of Democracy".
4. Complaint Against Ranaut For Post defaming Thackeray
Following her video, a complaint was registered against the actor for her "defamatory" speech against the Maharashtra CM. Party workers and politicians from across the spectrum slammed her for publicly referring to Thackeray with informal pronouns (tu, tujhe, etc).
Ranaut consequently began sharing a series of tweets with the hashtag #KanganaVsUddhav, rallying support for herself online. Alongside repeated criticisms of the Shiv Sena, she accused the party of pandering to the interests of Congress, dubbed by her as "Sonia Sena."
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5. Ranaut Demands Thackeray's Resignation
On September 11, a video emerged of Navy veteran Madan Sharma being allegedly bashed by Shiv Sena party workers. News reports suggest he was attacked for circulating a cartoon on Thackeray. "Honor the person sitting in the Constitutional post, wasn't this gentleman taught in the Navy?" - the party had responded to the event. Ranaut expressly condemned the attack on the veteran, by releasing another video statement.
In it, she questioned Shiv Sena and Thackeray for quashing freedom of speech in the state, by attacking the veteran as well as allegedly trying to block Republic TV. Through the hashtags on the tweet, she demanded Thackeray's resignation.
Following this incident, Ranaut hit back at Thackeray's government on several occasions, going insofar as so to call it a "Gunda government" and Thackeray as the "world's most incompetent CM."
6. Complaints Filed Against Ranaut And Sister
On October 21, it was reported that Ranaut and her sister Rangoli Chandel had been summoned by the Mumbai police for allegedly inciting communal hatred and defaming Bollywood. They were charged with sedition under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code. In the subsequent days, another complaint was filed stating that Ranaut had posted “defamatory” tweets, terming the judiciary as “Papu Sena”. The lawyer who filed the second complaint said Ranaut had “no respect for varied communities of India, law of the land, and authorised government bodies. She even made fun of the judiciary which amounted to criminal contempt.”
She reacted to the news by tweeting, “this is what happens to anti-fascist establishment revolutionaries."
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7. Thackeray Takes A Jibe At Ranaut, Actor Responds
On Sunday, October 25, during the annual Shiv Sena Dussehra rally, Thackeray took some covert jibes at Ranaut by condemning the controversial statements made by her against Mumbai. Recalling Ranaut's POK statement, he said, "I’m proud of my Mumbai Police. The police who caught a terrorist alive – the only police. I’m proud of the police. Mumbai has become PoK they say. So this is also an insult to PM. He had said will bring PoK to India. It has been six years so it is his failure."
Without taking her name during his speech, he invoked her "drug nexus" claim and defended Mumbai saying, "Mumbai is PoK, there are drug addicts everywhere – they are painting such a picture. They don’t know in our house we grow tulsi, not ganja. Ganja fields are in your state, you know where, not in our Maharashtra." He allegedly also called her "namak haraam."
Ranaut has responded to Thackeray's comments with a volley of her own on Twitter, calling him a "petty person." She further accused him of "bullying" and casting aspersions on the holy land of Himachal, saying, "You being a leader having such a vengeful, myopic and ill informed views about a state which has has been the abode of Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati along with many great saints..."
8. In Response To Arnab Goswami's Arrest
Ranaut reacted strongly to Goswami's arrest on November 4, by the Mumbai Police in regard to a 2018 case of suicide abetment. In a video statement titled 'Message for Maharashtra government,' she raised questions over Goswami's arrest and the allegations that he has been "physically assaulted" by the police. Alluding to the demolition of her own office space, she asked the government, "How many houses will you break? How many people will you assault? How many voices will you suppress?"
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