Kangana Ranaut defends Eknath Shinde, calls demolition of Mumbai studio ‘completely legal’
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Mumbai: Actress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut criticised comedian Kunal Kamra for his remarks against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Kamra had referred to Shinde as a "Gaddar" (traitor), a term frequently used by critics following Shinde's defection from the Shiv Sena, which led to the formation of the current state government.
Speaking to the media outside Parliament on Tuesday, Ranaut defended Shinde and criticised Kamra’s mockery. She also addressed the demolition of the Mumbai studio where Kamra had performed, stating, “I won’t compare this incident with what happened to my house because that was illegal, while this is completely legal.” She was referring to the 2020 demolition of her Mumbai office by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) during the Shiv Sena-led government's tenure.
Ranaut also praised Shinde, highlighting his journey from being an auto-rickshaw driver to becoming the state’s Deputy CM. “Shinde ji once drove a rickshaw, and today, he has reached great heights on his own merit. But who are these people mocking him? What have they achieved?” she said.
Kamra, known for his political satire, has often been critical of the BJP and its allies. His recent remarks triggered backlash from Shinde's supporters. On March 23, the venue where Kamra performed was vandalised by a group linked to Shinde’s faction. Shiv Sena workers also filed complaints against him at Khar and MIDC police stations.
In response, Kamra condemned the vandalism, calling it an attack on free speech. He criticised the authorities for demolishing the studio without prior notice, questioning whether the law would be applied equally to those responsible for the destruction. “I don’t fear this mob, and I will not hide under my bed, waiting for this to die down,” he stated.
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Man kills woman lecturer, sets car ablaze; dies by suicide in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): A 46-year-old man allegedly killed a woman lecturer by setting fire to the car with her inside, before dying by suicide; his severed body was found by railway police the next day, police said on Tuesday.
The deceased, identified as Ramanjinappa, a resident of Doddaballapura, was a contract worker in the tahsildar’s office, they said.
Police said the man, who was married and had apparently separated from his wife, was in an illicit relationship with a woman identified as Saroja, whose charred body was found inside a gutted car in an isolated area near the Bashetty Industrial Area in Doddaballapura taluk on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
Saroja was also married and had a son, police said.
According to police, on Saturday, the man allegedly borrowed a car from an acquaintance, claiming he had a medical emergency and needed to visit a hospital.
Citing preliminary investigations, a senior police officer said the man picked up the lecturer from a bus stop in Devanahalli. The two spent a couple of hours driving around Nandi Hills and nearby areas.
Later, they reached a secluded spot in Doddaballapura, where it is suspected that an argument ensued inside the car, following which he allegedly hit her on the head with a hammer, the officer said.
He then set the car on fire, reportedly using petrol, and is believed to have died by suicide thereafter, police said.
Locals who saw the burning car alerted the police and fire department, who rushed to the spot, extinguished the fire, and found the woman’s body completely charred inside the vehicle, the officer added.
His severed body was found near railway tracks in Bidadi by the railway police on Sunday, he said.
The motive and whether the crime was premeditated or impulsive are under investigation, he said.
Saroja’s husband filed a complaint accusing Ramanjinappa of killing her, police said, adding that a detailed investigation is underway to establish the exact sequence of events.
