Kangana Ranaut seeks compensation of Rs 2 crore from BMC
Mumbai: Actor Kangana Ranaut has amended her petition before the Bombay High Court to seek compensation of Rs 2 crore from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for "illegal" demolition at her bungalow.
After the BMC demolished what it termed as illegal alterations at the "Queen" actor's bungalow at Pali Hill in suburban Bandra on September 9, Ranaut moved the high court.
A division bench led by Justice S J Kathawalla had stayed the demolition, saying that the civic body's actions seemed "malafide" (having dubious intentions).
In her amended plea, Ranaut alleged that the BMC's decision to demolish her property was a direct consequence of her comments against the Maharashtra government.
Recently she has been "at loggerheads with the Government of Maharashtra regarding her views over the handling of certain issues which impact the public in general," it added.
"The expression used by her has displeased certain quarters and caused angst in certain quarters particularly a political party which is a part of the government in Maharashtra," Ranaut's amended petition said.
"In view of various threats been given to the petitioner, including threats of harm if she entered Mumbai, the petitioner was compelled to seek the assistance/security and was given protection by the Central Government in nature Y-plus category of CRPF security and the petitioner could only come to Mumbai under protection," it said.
The "same party" is also the ruling party in the BMC, the petition said, without naming the Shiv Sena.
The petition also contended that the Bollywood actor had sought the BMC's permission to carry out structural repairs at her bungalow, and the same was granted in 2018.
The BMC sent her a demolition notice on September 7 and gave her just 24 hours to respond, the petition said, adding that while she did respond in time, it was quick to reject her reply and on the very next day, BMC and police officers were "already present outside the bungalow".
Photos of the day showed that the BMC was ready with demolition equipment early in the morning, which proves that the civic body had malafide intentions and ulterior motives to demolish the bungalow, the petition claimed.
The plea urged the court to declare the BMC's action as illegal and direct the civic body and its "concerned officials" to pay her Rs 2 crore in damages.
The court is slated to hear the matter on September 22.
The demolition at Ranaut's bungalow had followed her public spat with the Shiv Sena over her statement comparing Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
