Nawab Malik denands withdrawal of Kangana Ranaut's Padma Shri award, her arrest

Lashing out at Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut for her remarks on the country's Independence, Maharashtra Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik demanded on Friday that the Centre must withdraw her Padma Shri award. He also said that the actor has to be immediately arrested. Her comments were condemned by several other political leaders.

New Delhi: Lashing out at Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut for her remarks on the country's Independence, Maharashtra Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik demanded on Friday that the Centre must withdraw her Padma Shri award. He also said that the actor has to be immediately arrested. Malik was speaking to the media.

Malik said from Ranaut's comment that India achieved real freedom in 2014 it seems the actor is on a heavy dose of Malana cream. It is a variety of hashish found especially in Himachal Pradesh.

"We strongly condemn actress Kangana Ranaut's statement. She insulted freedom fighters. The Centre must take back the Padma Shri from Kangana and arrest her. Looks like Kangana Ranaut took a heavy dose of Malana Cream before making such a statement," said Malik.

Ranaut's comments also drew severe criticism from BJP leader Varun Gandhi. Sharing the video of her controversial comment on social media, Gandhi said "Sometimes an insult to Mahatma Gandhi's sacrifice and penance, sometimes respect to his [Mahatma Gandhi's] killer, and now an insult to the sacrifices of lakhs of freedom fighters from Shaheed Mangal Pandey to Rani Laxmibai, Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and more. Should I call this madness or treason?"

The controversy started after Ranaut on Thursday said that India attained freedom in 2014 when the Narendra Modi-led government came to power in 2014. She also described India's Independence 1947 as "bheek", or alms.

Ranaut received the Padma Shri award from President Ram Nath Kovind at a ceremony hosted at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on November 8.

Shiv Sena leader Neelam Gorhe on Thursday slammed the actor demanding that she should be charged with sedition for dubbing India's independence as "alms". He also demanded that her Padma Shri award must be revoked.

Gohar, Deputy Chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, stated in a release that the actor has made an irresponsible, baseless, and unhistorical statement. He also accused her of insulting former Prime Ministers including late Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The Aam Aadmi Party in an application to the Mumbai Police demanded that a case be lodged against Ranaut. AAP's national executive member Preeti Sharma Menon described the actor's remarks as "seditious and inflammatory".

All India Mahila Congress President Netta D'Souza, on Thursday, wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind, seeking immediate action against Ranaut by revoking her Padma Shri award.

"The usage of words and phrases is a clear manifestation of intent and disrespect that the Padma Shri Awardee carries towards the freedom fighters and their contribution to attain independence," D'Souza said in her letter.

"She has questioned the sacrifice of our freedom fighters and forefathers who have laid their lives for India's Independence. The congress party who served India for the longest time is the birth child of ideals that the father of the Nation Mahatama Gandhi and First Prime Minister of India Pt. Nehru propagated. Nevertheless, the Padma awardee calls it an extension of British rule." she added.

(With agency inputs)