A Judicial Magistrate First Class in Tumakuru district on Friday directed the police to register a First Information Report against actor Kangana Ranaut following a complaint filed by advocate Ramesh Naik over the actor’s tweet against farmers.
On September 21 there was a tweet from @KanganaTeam saying "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.”
According to complainant Ramesh, the tweet amounted to instigating farmers to spark riots. He subsequently moved a petition under Section 156(3) of the CrPC which states that any Magistrate empowered under Section 190 may order an investigation by a police officer.
He pleaded that the magistrate order that an FIR be registered under Sections 153A (creating disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different communities by words), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 108 (a person abets an offence) of the Indian Penal Code against the actor.If such content is allowed to be posted on these platforms, "then incalculable and irreparable damage will be caused to the farmers of the country", the complaint stated.
Acting on the complaint, the magistrate ordered the police to file an FIR against Kangana.
There were widespread protests across Karnataka by farmers against the controversial three legislations enacted by parliament recently — Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020; the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020.
