Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut, on Thursday, reiterated that his party should not be linked to the demolition of Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut’s Pali Hill office, as it was done by the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The member of the parliament (MP), who met Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, said the Ranaut episode is now over as far as the party is concerned.
It was Raut’s maiden meeting after his war of words with Rananut after the latter recently likened Mumbai to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and also said that she feared Mumbai Police more than ‘movie mafia.’
The meeting was important, as the ruling party has decided not to reply to Kangana’s tweets and criticism against CM and the Shiv Sena in general. It was also his first meeting after he was appointed the party’s chief spokesperson.
"The Kangana Ranaut episode is over. We have even forgotten it. We are busy with our daily government and social work now," Raut said. He said his meeting with the CM was related to party issues.
Amidst some media reports, which claimed that Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar have expressed displeasure over the episode, the Shiv Sena MP said it was ‘wrong information’. “Be it Pawar saheb or Sonia ji, nobody has made a statement expressing displeasure,” Raut added.
Meanwhile, the Republican Party of India (RPI) president and Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athavale met Kangana at her residence and extended his party’s support. “Mumbai belongs to RPI, NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena. Everyone has the right to live in Mumbai. An injustice has been meted against Kangana Ranaut and we will make efforts to get her justice,” he said. He added, “Kangana has nothing to fear in Mumbai.”
Athavale alleged that yesterday's demolition drive against Kangana’s office was done out of revenge and it clearly exhibits vendetta politics. “If some part of her office was unauthorised, then why prior notice wasn’t issued for it?” he asked.
