To cap it all now the new date has been thrown up for the real freedom of the country by none other than RSS Sarsanghchalak, Mohan Bhagwat. While addressing in Indore he stated that 22 January 2024 was the day when we got Independence, “the date should be celebrated as “Pratishtha Dwadashi” as the true independence of India, which had faced “parachakra” (enemy attack) for several centuries, was established on this day. The ideals and life values presented by Lord Ram, Krishna, and Shiva are included in the “self of India” and it is not at all that these are the Gods of only those people who worship them, he said.

Bhagwat further said that the invaders destroyed the temples of the country so that the “self” of India also perishes. Projecting Ram Temple Pran Pratishta (Life installation) as the panacea of all our social problems he further added, “I used to ask those people that despite talking about socialism after independence in 1947, giving slogans of ‘Garibi Hatao’ (eradicate poverty) and worrying about people’s livelihood all the time, where did India stand in the 1980s and where have countries like Israel and Japan reached?” The RSS chief said he used to tell these people that “India’s livelihood path goes through the entrance of Ram temple and they should keep this in mind.”

Bhagawat’s constructs are taking the story further and he wants to legitimize the criminal act of demolishing the Babri Mosque. Overarching the diverse cultural and religious traditions he wants to present only Lord Rama as the sole cultural symbol of this country. Even in the broad spectrum of Hinduism there are Lord Shiva, Lord Shrikrishna, Goddess Kali among others. Then we have the glorious traditions of Lord Mahavir, Gautam Buddha, Nanak and Kabir as the part of the great canvass, which India is.

While the population genetics studies clearly show that Aryans were also the migrants, before them there were other natives here. And diverse people coming here can either be seen merely as aggressors walking the path of ways of Kingdoms. Chola Kings ruled in Srilanka, or Alexander tried his best to win over India. Different dynasties and people like Shaka, Hun, Ghulams, Khalji and Mughal rules  were ‘part’ of the subcontinent. This is seen by sectarians as an attack on ‘our’ civilization while those who struggled for Independence of India from the British saw it as an intermixing of historical process; leading to the foundational diversity of the country. Jawaharlal Nehru most aptly describes it as, “some ancient palimpsest on which layer upon layer of thought and reverie had been inscribed, and yet no succeeding layer had completely hidden or erased what had been written previously.”

As per RSS chief the aggressors wanted to demolish our soul by demolishing our temples. The temple destructions in Medieval and late early India were purely for the sake of power and wealth. The earlier attacks and conversions of Jain and Buddha places of worship were due to reaction from Brahminism. To demonize particularly the Muslim rulers, this formulation of temple destructions and many other myths have been propped up. Two examples will suffice while Aurangzeb destroyed nearly 12 temples; he also gave donations to nearly hundred Hindu temples. The eleventh century ruler of Kashmir, Raja Harshdev, appointed a special officer to uproot the idols of Gods and Goddesses, which were made of Gold and Silver or studded with diamonds and rubies.

Bhagwat and his ilk see the country through a narrow Brahminical prism. It was during the colonial period that Indian boundaries emerged. It was the colonial period which was a period of slavery. The previous conquers who ruled settled here and became a part of our national and cultural life. The British ‘Policy of Divide and rule’ planted the notion of earlier rulers being the plunderers and temple destroyers. The previous rulers who ruled did not take away our wealth outside, while the British plunder project led to impoverishment of India. The slavery was imposed by the British and the struggle against them was the freedom movement which culminated in Independence on 15th August 1947, with our Constitution being implemented on 26 January 1950.

Those deviating from this date are the followers of nationalism under the garb of religion, who are uncomfortable with the values of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity of the Constitution which emerged from the freedom struggle.

He needs to introspect what the countries like Japan and Israel achieved through demolishing old holy places and building the one’s of their religion. He also needs to know that after the Ram Temple movement has picked up India’s growth and unity has seen a downward trend. There is a consistent fall in the various indices related to health, nutrition, educational status with increase in poverty levels.

The massive foundations for economic, educational, scientific and industrial prosperity were laid much before the divisive politics of Ram Temple got a boost in the decades of 1980 and 1990s. Bhagwat’s statement totally ignores the massive anti colonial movement. The reason for this is that those who stood for Hindu and Muslim nationalism were not the part of it. In a way his statement is a great insult to all those who sacrificed their live for the freedom of the country from the clutches of colonialism, the period of our slavery.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are the author’s personal views, and do not necessarily represent the views of Sabrangindia.

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Asking the Supreme Court to take suo moto cognizance and action “for deliberately creating discord against farmers”, AIKS reminded her, “One of the greatest icons of militant anti-imperialism and the freedom struggle, Shaheed Bhagat Singh, was the most popular image of resistance during the Kisan struggle.”

The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) strongly condemns the irresponsible and malicious statements made by Kangana Ranaut, BJP MP from Mandi against farmers and the historic farmers’ movement that ferociously fought the corporate takeover of Indian agriculture. In a recent interview with a Hindi daily, the actress turned BJP MP described the farmers’ movement as an anti-national force engaged in destabilising India with the help of “external forces”. She went further and depicted the farmers’ movement as planning a ‘colour revolution’ similar to what happened in Bangladesh.

As a matter of fact, Kangana Ranaut’s despise towards the legendary and patriotic farmers’ movement is well documented. When the farmers were bravely fighting the harsh weather, the Covid pandemic, and the state violence unleashed by the RSS-BJP regime, Ranaut was dancing to the tune set by “external forces”— the hegemonic global finance — and their domestic lackeys like Adani and Ambani.

Her spiteful remarks on the peasantry, especially the denigrating remarks about peasant women exposed the fact that Ranaut will go to any extent to please her “external” and “internal” bosses who want to devour agriculture.

Ranaut, who was the most obnoxious cheerleader of the pro-corporate Farm Laws also made totally false statements trying to connect “rapes and murders” with farmers’ movement. It is a plain truth that the Kisan struggle had  736 martyrs and Ranaut’s colleagues in the RSS-BJP actually murdered protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri.

AIKS reminds Ranaut and her colleagues in the RSS-BJP that the farmers’ movement against the draconian Farm Laws drew its inspiration from the anti-imperialist freedom struggle against the British. One of the greatest icons of militant anti-imperialism and the freedom struggle, Shaheed Bhagat Singh, was the most popular image of resistance during the Kisan struggle.

The reactionary communal forces like the RSS, the Hindu Mahasabha and the Muslim League which betrayed the freedom struggle and acted as the stooges of British imperialism do not have any moral authority to question the patriotism of the peasantry and the working people. AIKS reiterates that, if implemented, the Farm Laws would have compromised the sovereignty and the food security of the country.

AIKS demands that Ranaut immediately withdraw her statements and apologise to the farmers for her malicious and provocative remarks.The prime minister Narendra Modi should also apologise to the farmers.The Supreme Court should take suo moto cognizance of Ranaut’s statements for deliberately misleading and creating discord against farmers and take strong deterrent action against her.

— Ashok Dhawale, President; Vijoo Krishnan, General Secretary

Courtesy: CounterView

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In a video shared by the actress on social media platform X, she alleged that “bodies were seen hanging and rapes were taking place” during farmers protest against the now-repealed three farm laws. Social media users condemned her statement saying, “BJP MP Kangana Ranaut says “dead bodies were hanging and rapes were “taking place” at the farmers protest Her statement is highly derogatory and demeaning for the farming community in general and Sikhs in particular and is part of a sinister plot to defame Sikhs and make them a target of hate crime in other parts of the country. Strict action for promoting hatred between communities needs to be taken against her. Demanded the AAP chief minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Singh Mann.

On June 6, 2024, two days after emerging victorious in a hotly contested parliamentary election, Kangana Ranaut, a favourite actor of the BJP-RSS regime, was in for a rude shock when she was allegedly slapped by a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at the Chandigarh airport over her comments on the farmer protests of 2020-21. At a time when a section of people were trying to paint the protesters – who were agitating against three laws related to the agriculture sector brought in by the Narendra Modi government – as Khalistani supporters, the actor had also made a few statements.

Earlier, in 2020, Ms Ranaut had allegedly misidentified a woman farmer from Punjab who was taking part in the protests and called her Bilkis Bano, an elderly woman who had become one of the faces of the anti-Citizenship Amendment Law (CAA) protests earlier in Shaheen Bagh. She had also said the woman was “available for ₹ 100”, suggesting she could be hired for protests.

BJP statement

The social media and political storm created by her derogatory remarks compelled the BJP to publicly reprimand her. “The statement given by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut in the context of farmers’ movement is not the opinion of the party. BJP expresses disagreement with the statement of Kangana Ranaut. On behalf of the Party, Kangana Ranaut is neither permitted nor authorized to make statements on Party policy issues. On behalf of BJP, Ms. Kangana Ranaut has been directed not to make any such statement in future. BJP is determined to follow the principles of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’ and social harmony.”

BJP MP @KanganaTeam says “dead bodies were hanging and rapes were taking place” at the farmers protest.

BJP : “The statement given by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut in the context of farmers’ movement is not the opinion of the party. BJP expresses disagreement with the statement of… pic.twitter.com/3Qi9NvxZB8

— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) August 26, 2024

 Samyukt Kisan Morcha condemns Kangana

The SKM has also condemned the “shameful and false comments of BJP MP Kangana Ranaut” The umbrella organisation representing over 300 farmer organisations has also demanded that Prime Minister, Narendra Modi himself apologises to the farmers for the reprehensible and untruthful comments made by his party MP besides an unconditional apology from Ranaut herself. Or else, the SKM says, farmers will be forced to call for her public boycott –

In a statement issued on Sunday, August 25, SKM has taken note of the shockingly derogatory and factually incorrect comments made by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut in an interview. “It is extremely painful that this MP, who is a habitual abuser of farmers, has now taken the extreme step of calling Indian farmers murderers, rapists, conspirators, and anti-national. It is not surprising that this MP is making such utterances because it has been the long-standing policy of BJP to insult, denigrate and discredit the historic anti-corporate farmers’ movement led by SKM at the borders of Delhi. Despite insults and deliberate provocation, SKM has always ensured that the farmers’ protests against the anti-farmer laws and pro-corporate policies of the BJP led Union Govt remains peaceful, lawful and in accordance with exercise of fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of India.”

The statement continues stating that “the most significant achievement of the farmers’ movement was its massive character and the supreme sacrifice of 736 martyrs. Among them were the five victims of Lakhimpur Kheri massacre of four farmers and one journalist mowed down under running vehicles of Kangana Ranut’s party leader and former Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Teni and his son who are facing trial for murder charges. Not a single person was killed in any violence caused by the farmers’ movement during the entire period of farmers’ struggle around the Capital city.”

Besides, says the SKM statement, “the farmers’ movement is the successor of the great anti-colonial struggle of the Indian people against British Imperialism and still fights against the imperialist driven corporate forces and policies. It is better for Kangana Ranaut to try to learn the history and politics of the farmers’ movement in India before terming it as anti-national.

Demanding that t PM Narendra Modi himself apologises to the farmers of India for the reprehensible and untruthful comments made by an MP of his party, SKM has stated that “It is high time the PM stands with the ‘annadatas’ of India and does not allow his party and its members to misbehave with those who are providing food security to the nation. It is not only the PM’s constitutional duty, but people of India expect no less from him.

Finally the SKM has further demanded that BJP MP Kangana Ranaut immediately issue an unconditional apology to farmers of India for her inappropriate and incorrect statements and uphold the dignity of her office, failing which SKM shall have no option but to issue a call for her public boycott.

Related:

Delhi Assembly committee summons Kangana Ranaut for remarks on Sikhs

Twitter suspends Kangana Ranaut’s account for urging Modi to show ‘virat roop from early 2000s’ in Bengal

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Delhi Assembly’s Committee for Peace and Harmony has sent a notice to actor Kangana Ranaut on Thursday, asking her to appear before it at noon on December 6. Ranaut was summoned by the committee for allegedly posting hate speech on her social media account. According to the Committee, this has hurt the religious sentiments of the Capital’s Sikh community.

The Committee led by MLA Raghav Chadha sent a summons notice to Ranaut on Thursday and asked her to appear before it at noon on December 6. The Committee stated that it “received numerous complaints, eliciting an alleged offensive and derogatory Instagram story: posted by Kangana Ranaut.” It alleged that she “blanketly labelled the Sikh Community as ‘Khalistani Terrorists’”. The complainants reportedly told the Committee that such stories have “gravely hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikh Community and has caused apprehensions in their mind regarding their safety as well as life & liberty.” The Committee said that it had “received multiple complaints eliciting outrageously offensive and derogatory Instagram stories/posts allegedly published by Ms. Kangana Ranaut, the film actress, on her official Instagram Account namely @kanganaranaut.” Ranaut’s Instagram Account has a massive reach, and is followed by around 80 Lakh people worldwide.

The complaints stated that Ranaut has allegedly “labelled the Sikh Community as ‘Khalistani Terrorists’ which has led to unbearable humiliation for people from Sikh Community but has also led to apprehensions regarding their safety, life and liberty in their minds” in her post of November 20, that read, “Khalistani terrorists may be arm twisting the government today…. But let’s not forget one woman…The only woman prime minister ne inn ko apni jooti ke neeche crush kiya tha…..No matter how much suffering she caused to this nation… she crushed them like mosquitos at the cost of her own life …. Lekin desh ke tukde nahi hone diye.… even after decades of her death… aaj bhi uske naam se kampte hain yeh…. Inko vaisa he guru chahiye….’”

One of the complainants put on record that he was also called a “Khalistani” in broad daylight, and this “was not only shocking to him but also raised legitimate apprehensions in his mind and heart regarding the safety of his family and himself” stated the Committee.  

The notice issued by Sadanand Sah, deputy secretary of the committee, reportedly read, “…the committee has received numerous complaints eliciting inter alia, outrageously offensive and derogatory Instagram stories/posts allegedly published by yourself on 20.11.2021 on your official Instagram account against the Sikh community by blanketly labelling them as ‘Khalistani terrorists’ through purportedly deliberate references and imputations made in the said stories/posts, thus depicting the entire Sikh community in a very bad light, which as per complaints, has the potential to engender disharmony as well as cause wounding humiliation to the entire Sikh community.”

Ranaut was recently awarded with the Padma Shri. On Tuesday, Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee (DGMC) president Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Supreme Council Navi Mumbai Gurudwara president Jaspalsingh Siddhu, and Amarjeet Singh Sandhu of Dadar’s Shri Guru Singh Sabha Gurudwara also initiated the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) against Ranaut.

We will fight this battle until she is put behind bars for spreading hatred against Farmers and Sikhs pic.twitter.com/cKi0zQZncg

— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) November 24, 2021

In May this year, Twitter permanently suspended Kangana Ranaut’s account following a tweet where she egged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to show his “virat roop” (vast form) from the “early 2000s”, appearing to allude to the Gujarat pogrom where thousands of Muslims were butchered. Her comment was in reference to the violence in West Bengal following the declaration of Assembly election results. Kangana had tweeted, “This is horrible… we need super gundai to kill gundai… she is like an unleashed monster, to tame her Modi ji please show your Virat roop from early 2000’s … #PresidentRuleInBengal”. In 2002, Gujarat under the leadership of then Chief Minister Narendra Modi witnessed a pogrom in which thousands of Muslims were systematically killed in particularly gruesome ways. There were also countless instances of gendered violence. Following the 2002 pogrom, the US and the UK had imposed an entry ban on Modi. The violence is still remembered as one of the most horrifying moments in the country’s history.

Since then, she has used Instagram to amplify her controversial opinions. 

Related

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Sessions court dismisses Kangana’s plea against Javed Akhtar’s defamation case

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Times Now in its branded Times Now Summit 2021 gave a free run to actor Kangana Ranaut to make seditious statements on India’s independence and get away with it. The recent Padma Shri recipient was allowed by anchor Navika Kumar to make statements claiming that India’s freedom in 1947 was a “bheek” (alms given to a beggar) and that “real freedom came in 2014” as that was when the Bharatiya Janata Party government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power.

Kangana virtually conducted her monologue on her own version and idea of “nationalism”, patriotism, “history” and India’s freedom struggle. Understandably she mostly spoke about herself, and her admiration for PM Modi, Hindu Mahasabha leader Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, etc. However, while she was on a roll on these and other subjects she has claimed to do “research on”, Kangana Ranaut’s remarks about the freedom struggle, and Independence being given as ‘alms’ have been called out by many.

National Executive Member of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Preeti Sharma Menon, has filed a complaint against Ranaut for these remarks. She tweeted, “Submitted an application to @MumbaiPolice requesting action on Kangana Ranaut for her seditious and inflammatory statements on @TimesNow under sections 504, 505 and 124A. Hope to see some action”.

Submitted an application to @MumbaiPolice requesting action on Kangana Ranaut for her seditious and inflammatory statements on @TimesNow, under sections 504, 505 and 124A.
Hope to see some action @CPMumbaiPolice @DGPMaharashtra pic.twitter.com/9WxFXJFnEn

— Preeti Sharma Menon (@PreetiSMenon) November 11, 2021

The AAP strongly condemns the derogatory statement made by actress Kangana Ranaut at the Times Now Summit 2021 – claiming that India’s independence of 1947 was “bheek” and not real independence.
@PreetiSMenon, National Executive Member of AAP has submitted an application to the pic.twitter.com/ZSbKsc6Zlq

— AAP Mumbai (@AAPMumbai) November 11, 2021

Kangana Ranaut also called the Congress party an ‘extension of the British,’ and said, “Savarkar, Lakshmibai, or Netaji Bose…these people knew that the blood will flow but it shouldn’t be Hindustani blood. They knew it… They paid a price, of course. Woh azaadi nahi thi, woh bheek thi. Aur jo azaadi mili hai woh 2014 mai mili hai (That wasn’t freedom, that was alms. We got real freedom in 2014.)”

Most people have taken this as an insult to India’s freedom fighters, and freedom struggle. Many have also said that any other citizen would have been pulled up by the police for making such seditious statements by now. Kangana however, was not even questioned or interrupted by anchor Navika Kumar, who encouraged the conversation to carry on that tangent.

Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Priyanka Chaturvedi of the Shiv Sena called her a “WhatsApp history fan”. 

The new Ruchi Pathak on the block. From 99 year lease to bheek main mili azaadi. All the blood, sweat and balidan of our freedom fighters including Jhansi ki Rani dismissed to please the master. The WhatsApp history fans. pic.twitter.com/LdFCt9lCoR

— Priyanka Chaturvedi?? (@priyankac19) November 10, 2021

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Varun Gandhi took to Twitter posting a clip of Kangana’s comment and asked if this was madness or treason to disrespect freedom fighters’ sacrifices and adding that Kangana had insulted the “sacrifice of Mahatma Gandhi sometime” and was “respecting his killer sometime”

कभी महात्मा गांधी जी के त्याग और तपस्या का अपमान, कभी उनके हत्यारे का सम्मान, और अब शहीद मंगल पाण्डेय से लेकर रानी लक्ष्मीबाई, भगत सिंह, चंद्रशेखर आज़ाद, नेताजी सुभाष चंद्र बोस और लाखों स्वतंत्रता सेनानियों की कुर्बानियों का तिरस्कार।

इस सोच को मैं पागलपन कहूँ या फिर देशद्रोह? pic.twitter.com/Gxb3xXMi2Z

— Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) November 11, 2021

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma says India belongs to Hindus

The Times Now Summit 2021 also gave a platform to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to say that “India belonged to Hindus”. He added that madrassas should also be shut down. Sarma was to speak at the summit on how to overcome various challenges in the North-East. 

However, the Chief Minister continued to make communally coloured statements such as, “Some people in Assam want to make mullahs through madrassas… If I go to a Muslim area and say that I want to make their kids doctors, they should feel happy. This is part of my freedom of expression to suggest that I want them to be doctors, not mullahs. The choice, obviously, is theirs.” According to the CM, “Everyone should go to Muslim areas and ask them to shut down madrassas. They should ask them to make schools. Politicians should have the guts to say this even if it creates fault lines. I have stopped giving funds to all government madrassas.” When he was asked about the settlement of Hindus from Bangladesh, the CM added, “India belongs to Hindus. The word ‘Indian’ came in 1947, for 7,000 years, we were known as Hindus. I believe in civilisation and this is a Hindu civilisation. You cannot disconnect us from our roots. Every Hindu who is in trouble has his motherland to come back to.” 

#TimesNowSummit | Assam CM @himantabiswa shares his perspective on the Citizenship Amendment Act.#TimesNowSummit2021 pic.twitter.com/ouTSpZPL5M

— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) November 10, 2021

When asked about CAA-NRC and immigrants in India, he said, “If you are from UP and Bihar, religion does not matter but if you are from my neighbouring state, it does matter. If you have a passport, visa, you can certainly come to the state.”  According to Sarma, “Immigrants have posed a threat to Assam’s culture and identity. Once communal politics was started by the other side, people of Assam responded. It started in 2006, when the United Democratic Front (UDF) under the leadership of Badruddin Ajmal, emerged in Assam and since then, polity has fragmented. If immigrant Muslims have tried to assert their identity, indigenous Muslims, Hindus and Christians have equally said that they have the right to counter communal politics” this transcript was quoted by Mirror Now online, proudly shared by Times Now and retweeted by Sarma himself. 

#TimesNowSummit | Immigrants have posed a threat to Assam culture and identity. Earlier, we were not so vocal. But once communal politics entered, we started responding: @himantabiswa, Assam CM, tells Padmaja Joshi.#TimesNowSummit2021 pic.twitter.com/GiAn6aTQB6

— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) November 10, 2021

Related

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Why was Himanta Biswa Sarma let off with just a warning?
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Sessions court dismisses Kangana’s plea against Javed Akhtar’s defamation case
K’taka HC sets aside order directing FIR against Kangana Ranaut for tweets about farmers’ protests

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Twitter permanently suspended Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut’s account on May 4, 2021 following a tweet where she egged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to show his “virat roop” (vast form) from the “early 2000s”, appearing to allude to the Gujarat pogrom where thousands of Muslims were butchered. Her comment was in reference to the violence in West Bengal following the declaration of Assembly election results.

Kangana tweeted, “This is horrible… we need super gundai to kill gundai… she is like an unleashed monster, to tame her Modi ji please show your Virat roop from early 2000’s … #PresidentRuleInBengal”

In 2002, Gujarat under the leadership of then Chief Minister Narendra Modi witnessed a pogrom in which thousands of Muslims were systematically killed particularly gruesome ways. There were also countless instances of gendered violence. Following the 2002 pogrom, the US and the UK had imposed an entry ban on Modi. The violence is still remembered as one of the most horrifying moments in the country’s history.

Needless to say, Ranaut’s insensitive remark sparked harsh criticism from netizens, and even from Twitter itself that shut down her account. Speaking to a news agency, a spokesperson said, “We’ve been clear that we will take strong enforcement action on behaviour that has the potential to lead to offline harm. The referenced account has been permanently suspended for repeated violations of Twitter Rules specifically our Hateful Conduct policy and Abusive Behaviour policy. We enforce the Twitter Rules judiciously and impartially for everyone on our service.”

It may be mentioned that while the actress’s most vocal platform is gone, her Instagram account is still functional. Following the suspension, Ranaut voiced her complaint on Instagram stating that Twitter suspended her right after she posted a video demanding President’s rule in Bengal. The same video is posted on her Instagram account.

Earlier in January, the right-wing proponent’s account was restricted for some time after Ranaut, ranting against Tandav web series creators, allegedly tweeted it was “time to take their heads off” while replying to a right-wing handle. This is an open incitement of violence.

Thereafter, she lashed out at Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and called him the “chacha” (uncle) of liberals. At the time, the platform warned Ranaut that a further violation of Twitter rules would result in removal.

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Kangana Ranaut is whining about Twitter, on Twitter, for Twitter restricting her!

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Greta Thunberg continues to support farmers, offers toolkit on Twitter

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Mumbai Sessions Court on April 5, 2021 dismissed Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut’s revision application challenging the proceedings initiated against her by a magistrate’s court for allegedly defaming veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar.

Additional Sessions Judge S. U. Baghele at Dindoshi dismissed Ranaut’s challenge regarding the issuance of the process, the legality and validity of the February 1 order passed by the Andheri court and the following issuance of a bailable warrant against her for failing to appear before the court.

The actress’s lawyer Rizwan Siddiquee argued that the magistrate had not recorded complainant’s and witnesses’ statements before issuing a notice or proceeding with criminal complaints, as required by the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Meanwhile, Akhtar’s advocate Jay Bharadwaj had previously opposed her application stating that witnesses were to be examined only if they were present.

In the end, the court said, “No error in the impugned order, as regards its correctness or legality could be pointed out, nor it could be pointed out that there was any irregularity in the proceeding before the learned Magistrate.”

In November 2020, Akhtar filed a complaint against Ranaut for making defamatory statements against him during a television interview on Republic TV that allegedly damaged his reputation.

At the time, the concerned magistrate directed the Mumbai police to do a preliminary probe and later issued a bailable warrant against Ranaut on March 1, after she failed to appear before the court.

The warrant was cancelled on March 25 after the actress padi a cash bail of Rs. 20,000 and a surety of Rs 15,000.

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Javed Akhtar vs Kangana Ranaut: Mumbai court issues bailable warrant against Ranaut
Kangana Ranaut is whining about Twitter, on Twitter, for Twitter restricting her!
Javed Akhtar files defamation case against Kangana Ranaut

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The Karnataka High Court has set aside an order directing filing of FIR against Hindi film actor Kangana Ranaut for her tweets about the farmers’ protests. The order was passed by Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) at Tumkur under Section 156(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure on a complaint made by one Advocate Ramesh Naik, alleging that Kangana promoted enmity between groups by comparing protesting farmers to terrorists.

The bench of Justice HP Sandesh has remitted the matter back to the Magistrate while observing some lacunae in the order. As per LiveLaw, the court said, “…nowhere the Magistrate made any reference that he has perused averments in the complaint and whether it amounts to an offence”. The court thus decided to remit the matter to the trial court “to look into whether averments made in the complainant amount to offence”.

At the same time, the court also rebuked the comments made by Ranaut in her tweet and addressing her counsel, said “Who gave you the power persons who support farmers bill are terrorist? If same words are uttered against you what will you going to do.. Celebrities while making statements should first hold their tongue”.

Ranaut, in her petition for quashing the FIR has said that the said tweet was not made with any intention to promote enmity and was instead done “solely with the intention to caution her followers”.

The tweet in question reads as follows:

“People who spread misinformation and rumours about CAA that caused riots are the same people who are now spreading misinformation about Farmers bill and causing terror in the nation, they are Terrorists. You very well know what I said but simply like to spread misinformation”.

Her petition states that her tweet is being misread, and the meaning and intention are being accorded to it in subterfuge to create misconception in the minds of the general public.

Related:

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Javed Akhtar vs Kangana Ranaut: Mumbai court issues bailable warrant against Ranaut

Bom HC asks media houses to exercise restraint, per directions against ‘media trial’

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Actor and right wing cheer leader Kangana Ranaut’s Twitter account reportedly got restricted for some time after she made a fresh series of controversial remarks. This time she was ranting against creators of the web series Tandav, and allegedly also tweeted that it was “time to take their heads off” in response to a fellow right wing handle. She was quick to delete her tweet, but as most trolls realise later, multiple screen shots had been taken, and perhaps reported. A restriction reportedly followed.

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In addition to this letter-counter letter battle, a case has been filed against 9 signatories of the July 23 letter, including Aparna Sen, Revathi and Konkona Sen Sharma, in the Bihar court on Saturday. It was filed by an advocate before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate under sections 124A (sedition), 153B (assertions prejudicial to national integration), 290 (public nuisance), 297 (trespass to wound religious feelings) and 504 (intentional insults) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

It may be recalled that on July 23, 49 personalities, including film-makers Shyam Benegal, Mani Ratnam, Anurag Kashyap and Aparna Sen as well as vocalist Shubha Mudgal and historian Ramchandra Guha, had expressed concern at the number of “religious identity-based hate crimes” and noted that ‘Jai Shri Ram’ has become a provocative war cry with many lynchings taking place in the name of the deity.

Now, as per a report in the National Herald, leaders of the Mahasabha have posted 101 letters written in blood to the PM saying “such traitors should be charged with sedition and all their national awards should be withdrawn.” The letters, sent on Tuesday, also urge the PM to take strong action against the 49 eminent personalities who had written to him on lynching of minorities and hate crimes in the country.Ashok Pande, national spokesperson of the Mahasabha, said that the issue of “so-called mob lynchings” of Muslims and Dalits were being perpetrated to defame the country. Pande said this “conspiracy should be unveiled and those spreading the canard of mob lynchings should be put to task.” “Such human rights groups are trying to become the champion of minorities and Dalits but were always silent when Hindus were targeted in Kashmir valley or when terrorists were spilling Hindu blood,” Pande said, adding that such groups were trying to “divide the country.”

Apart from the Hindutva organisation, 62 celebrities from the Bollywood industry, including actor Kangana Ranaut, filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification Prasoon Joshi, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri among others have written a letter in response to ‘selective outrage and false narratives.’ The counter letter that went viral on Twitter, read, “49 self-styled guardians and conscience keepers of the nation and of democratic values have once again expressed selective concern and demonstrated a clear and political bias and motive…It is aimed at tarnishing India’s international standing and to negatively portray Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s untiring efforts to effectuate governance on the foundations of positive nationalism and humanism which is the core of Indianness.”

It further called the July 23 letter ‘an attempt to defame the nation’, saying that, “We do condemn the conspiracy.” The 62 signatories also questioned the silence of the celebs who signed the letter during times “when tribals and the marginalised have become victims of Naxal terror.” Some of the points mentioned in the counter letter which are baseless and propagate fake news are mentioned below:
 

1. The letter says that some people were killed for chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram.’ However, there is no backing to this claim. It may be a reference to Mamata Banerjee’s recent controversy over the chanting of this Hindu slogan, however, nobody was killed then.
2. It also claims that complaints of people being forced to chant the Hindu sermon were “false and concocted.” However, SabrangIndia’s analysis has revealed how ‘Jai Shri Ram’ has become a weapon to kill and assault the minorities.
3. The letter also claims that the minorities have been the safest in the Modi era. However, contrary to this claim, the attacks on minorities have increased manifold in the past five years.
4. The letter also accuses the 49 celebs of being silent when separatists made appeals to divide India with the lingo ‘Tukde Tukde’ being used for them. However, this was ultimately proven to be false.

Thus, most of the points are just an attempt to draw false equivalence between unconnected events, spread fake news and peddle an especially toxic brand of supremacist ideology to worsen the already divisive socio-political climate in the country.
Journalist Arnab Goswami was also not behind in this constant targeting of the celebs since the time the July 23 letter was made public. Filmmaker Aparna Sen, one of the signatories to the July 23 letter, had held a press conference the previous week for the same, which is when Arnab Goswami decided to ‘join’ in, remotely from his media room. Arnab was seen yelling over the phone while Aparna couldn’t or didn’t hear any of his questions. Similar to the things mentioned in the letter written by 62 celebs, Arnab was asking Aparna where was she when crimes were happening against minorities or when actress Zaria Wasim was targeted by Muslim fanatics. In response to Arnab’s constant bickering, Sen shared a mocking tweet which is as follows:

Imaginary conversation with a journalist:

Journo: Where were u when the jizia tax was imposed on Hindus?
Me: But that was Aurangzeb’s time!

Journo: Why were u silent then? Answer me! The nation wants to know!

The entire letter by the 62 celebs may be read here:

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