Bathinda (Punjab): BJP MP and Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut, who has been embroiled in controversy over her remarks during the farmers’ protest, is scheduled to appear before a Bathinda court on Wednesday in connection with a defamation case.
The case was filed by Mahinder Kaur, an 81-year-old woman from Bahadurgarh village in Bathinda district, who alleged that Ranaut’s comments during the farmers’ agitation were defamatory. The court has directed the BJP MP to appear in person. Legal sources said that failure to comply with the order could lead to the issuance of arrest warrants against her.
During the previous hearing, counsel for the complainant, advocate Raghubir Singh Bahniwal, informed the court that Kangana Ranaut’s legal team had sought exemption from personal appearance. However, the court rejected the plea and ordered the actor-politician to be personally present on January 15.
The controversy dates back to the farmers’ movement, when Kangana Ranaut had posted tweets making objectionable remarks about women participating in the protests. In one of her posts, she allegedly claimed that women were being paid ₹100 to join the agitation. She also commented on a post featuring an elderly woman, sarcastically stating that the same woman had been showcased by Time magazine as one of India’s most powerful women and was now “available for ₹100.”
Following these remarks, Mahinder Kaur filed a defamation complaint on January 4, 2021. After nearly 13 months of hearings, a Bathinda court issued summons to Ranaut and ordered her to appear.
Subsequently, Kangana Ranaut approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking relief, but her petition was dismissed. She then moved the Supreme Court, which also declined to grant her any relief, paving the way for the ongoing trial in the Bathinda court.
