Bollywood actres Kangana Ranaut landed in Mumbai from her home state Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, amid protests by Shiv Sena workers at the airport over her remarks on Mumbai police.
Kangana, who flew from Chandigarh by a scheduled commercial flight, landed at Mumbai around 2.30 pm local time. Shiv Sena workers with black flags were seen outside the airport, shouting slogans against her.
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Workers of the RPI (A) and Karni Sena had also gathered in support of the actor. RPI (A) leader and Union minister Ramdas Athawale had declared that his party workers will protect Kangana while she is in Mumbai.
Kangana has courted a controversy with her recent comments about the Mumbai Police and Maharashtra. In response to a remark by Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut where he asked her not to come back to the city after she claimed she felt unsafe in the city, Kangana had compared Mumbai with PoK
Swamy tweets in support
As she Kangana Ranaut landed in Mumbai airport on Wednesday, a section of the political set along with activists had already gone all out to extend support. Among them is BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy who asked the actress to keep faith.
"Tell Kangana to keep the faith. We are with her in this struggle," Swamy tweeted on Wednesday.
After her war of words with the ruling Shiv Sena leaders, Kangana is caught in another tussle, this time with the administration after BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation started demolition of her office citing violation of rules.
High court stays demolition
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday stayed the demolition drive being undertaken by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) at the property of Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut in Mumbai.
A bench of the High Court also asked the BMC to file a reply on her petition in the matter. Ranaut's lawyer, Rizwan Siddiqui, said: "The notice given is illegal and they [BMC] entered the premises illegally. There was no work under way at the premises."
Ranaut, through her lawyer Rizwan Siddiqui, had moved the High Court against the demolition of what the BMC termed as "illegal alterations" at her office. Siddiqui, said: "The notice given is illegal and they [BMC] entered the premises illegally. There was no work under way at the premises."
The office is situated in Mumbai's Pali Hills.
Earlier in the day, a hashtag announcing the “death of democracy” started to trend after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) began demolishing the Bandra office of Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut.
The hashtag #DeathOfDemocracy trended from Wednesday morning even as BMC bulldozers went about bringing down alleged unauthorised modifications and extensions at the actress’ office building.
Actress Himanshi Khurrana wrote on the micro-blogging website: “What’s going on in Mumbai.. #BMC should wait atleast.... where’s the democracy.. this is wrong... to demolish anyone’s dream house/office #DeathOfDemocracy.”
A social media user wrote: “Our Nationalist Lioness fighting with whole corrupt system. 1. Mumbai Police 2. Sonia Sena Govt 3. BMC 4. Bollywood Mafia 5. Drug peddlers #DeathOfDemocracy #UddhavWorstCMEver #ShameOnMahaGovt Uddhav Thakrey, please wear this as u have bend in front of Antonio Maino.”
“Bombay High Court begins hearing Kangana Ranaut’s plea against BMC, on URGENT BASIS. #DeathOfDemocracy,” said another.
A user challenged Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and wrote: “#DeathOfDemocracy if contests an election against @KanganaTeam any where in Mumbai i don’t think Sanjay Raut can even save his deposits.”
One simply said: “@iRaviTiwari goonnism of/by/from indian political theatre should be erased fully. - @KanganaTeam @shwetasinghkirt #DeathOfDemocracy @Swamy39 @Dev_Fadnavis.”
Earlier in the day, Ranaut reacted to the demolition by terming the act as death of democracy. She also questioned how the officials could demolish the structure when such procedure is banned till September 30 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Referring to the film industry, she also asked “Bullywood” to see what fascism looks like.
“There is no illegal construction in my house, also government has banned any demolitions in Covid till September 30, Bullywood watch now this is what Fascism looks like#DeathOfDemocracy,” Ranaut wrote on her verified account.
“I am never wrong and my enemies prove again and again this is why my Mumbai is POK now #deathofdemocracy,” she wrote with an image.
As per the notice, the violations include: merging of two bungalows, converting a ground-floor toilet into an office cabin, converting a storeroom into a kitchen, making an unauthorised pantry in the ground floor, adding toilets near the storeroom and a parking area, illegal partitions in first floor living room, an illegal meeting room in the pooja room, converting a balcony into a habitable area besides a floor extension, etc.
The bungalow, which the actress had bought three years ago, is listed as a residential property by the BMC.
Meanwhile, the actress is on her way to Mumbai amid an escalating war of words with the ruling Shiv Sena leaders.