Seeking legal view on Kangana’s remarks; already requested police to register complaint: Maha Cong chief

The Congress is seeking a legal opinion on recent comments made by Kangana Ranaut and a party leader had already requested the police to register a complaint against her, Maharashtra party unit president Nana Patole said on Wednesday and dubbed the Bollywood actor’s remarks ”anti-national”.

Speaking to reporters here, Patole said Congress will take a firm stand against such ”coordinated” attacks. Days after her India’s independence in 1947 was ”bheek” remarks triggered a row, Ranaut on Tuesday claimed Subhas Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh got no support from Mahatma Gandhi and went on to mock his mantra of ahimsa by saying that offering another cheek gets you ”bheek” not freedom.

She had described India’s Independence as ”bheek”, or alms, and declared that freedom came in 2014 when the Narendra Modi-led government came to power.

In a series of posts on Instagram, Ranaut this time targeted Mahatma Gandhi and said ”choose your heroes wisely”.

”There are some Hindi film actors who are given some awards and being used to distort the historical facts. We are seeking a legal opinion on the matter. Once we arrive at a decision, the party will take its next firm stand regarding such coordinated attacks,” Patole said when asked about comments made by Ranaut. He said Congress leader Naseem Khan, a former minister, has already requested the police to file a complaint against Ranaut.

Patole said such distortion of facts is an ”anti-national act” but the ruling dispensation is encouraging such comments.

Speaking on the violence that had erupted in Amaravati, Malegaon and Nanded cities in Maharashtra last week, Patole alleged the BJP is playing a communal card in Maharashtra to polarise voters ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

”The police investigation will bring out the truth behind such incidents,” he said.

The Congress is one of the constituents in the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra. On Friday, stone-pelting was witnessed in Amravati, Malegaon and some other cities during rallies taken out by Muslim organisations protesting against alleged communal violence in Tripura. On Saturday, a mob hurled stones at shops in Amravati’s Rajkamal Chowk area during a bandh (shut-down) called by the BJP, prompting the police to impose a curfew for four days.