Following Kangana Ranaut’s Instagram video slamming her sister Rangoli Chandel’s Twitter suspension and calling Twitter “anti-India”, Indian jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali — who called out Chandel for her hate-filled tweets and implored Twitter to take action — penned an open letter, urging the siblings to be more responsible as public figures.
“I have nothing against Rangoli or you and have even met Rangoli in the past where she came across as sweet. She has been an acid victim and now a social activist, so she should be more responsible ... Spewing hate towards a community and calling them to be killed for the acts of few is unacceptable,” said Khan Ali in a lengthy Twitter post. Khan Ali began the open letter claiming to be a huge fan of Ranaut as an actress, but found her sister’s thoughts spiteful.
“My reaction to Rangoli’s tweet was because she specifically used the word ‘Nazi’ along with “Mullahs and secular media’,” said Khan Ali. Chandel tweeted that she wanted certain community and media to be shot on sight. Her hate-filled tweets were flagged up by several Bollywood insiders including filmmaker Reema Kagti, Kubbra Sait and Khan Ali.
Khan Ali also schooled Ranaut in her open letter on the how the word Nazis is synonymous with genocide and it’s inappropriate and hateful to use it in today’s context. She ended her letter on a non-combative note and hoped that Ranaut and her sister would take moral responsibility for their actions.
In response, an unverfied Twitter handle that claims to be managed by Ranaut's digital team posted: "Dear @FarahKhanAli, Instead of selectively 'quoting' #RangoliChandel, post content of her tweet.She started by condemning those who attacked doctors, & referred to 'these mullas', meaning the ones who attacked.
"Never did she compare herself to a nazi. She wrote 'they may call us Nazi', Referring to the slurs she recieved. Kindly dont twist words to suit your distorted narrative [sic]."
On April 16, Ranaut posted an Instagram video calling foul and claimed that it wasn’t fair that her sister’s verified Twitter account with 95,000 plus followers was suspended over her series of tweets.
She defended her sister’s tweets claiming that her tweets did not imply bigotry and that Twitter was an “anti-Indian” American corporate that punished nationalist bent of mind. She also wanted wrestler Babita Phogat, who is now involved in another hateful series of Islamphobic tweets, to get protection from the central government.
In the meantime, an Indian lawyer has filed a case against Chandel for hate speech and creating disharmony in the times of coronavirus lockdown in India.
