Hitting back at Kangana Ranaut, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government on Tuesday ordered a probe into alleged consumption of drugs by the controversial actor in the past.
In a related development, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) served the actress with a ‘stop work’ notice, a day after the team went inside the premises of Manikarnika Films at Bandra to inspect the space. The move comes a day ahead of Kangana’s arrival in Mumbai – after comments comparing Mumbai with Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and describing the city as addicted to blood.
The comments had not gone down well in Maharashtra and its political spectrum including the ruling Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress. The BJP, however, had been a bit soft on the diatribe of Kangana in the wake of the mysterious death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.
Maharashtra’s Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said that he has asked the police to look into Adhyayan's alleged statements that Kangana used to consume drugs.
“In an interview, Adhyayan Suman, the son of Shekhar Suman, who had a relationship with her, had made certain statements that Kangana Ranaut used to take drugs. The Mumbai Police will investigate this matter,” Deshmukh told reporters in Vidhan Bhavan complex.
He also made a similar statement in the Maharashtra Assembly following questions by two Shiv Sena MLAs Pratap Sarnaik and Sunil Prabhu.“In the assembly, I have replied that she had relations with Adhyayan Suman, who said in an interview that she (Kangana) took drugs and also forced him to do so… Mumbai Police will look into all this in detail,” Deshmukh added.
Kangana, however, tweeted: “I am more than happy to oblige Mumbai Police and Anil Deshmukh…please do my drug tests and investigate my call records if you find any links to drug peddlers ever. I will accept my mistake and leave Mumbai forever, looking forward to meeting you.”
Congress legislator Bhai Jagtap moved a privilege motion against Kangana for allegedly maligning the image of Mumbai and Maharashtra by her statements.
A BMC team went to the Pali Hill bungalow of the actor in suburban Bandra and posted the notice there as nobody was present to receive the notice. The notice pointed out over a dozen alterations in the bungalow, like a "toilet being converted into office cabin" and "new toilets being constructed alongside the staircase".
Meanwhile, leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis said, “I condemn the comments of actress Kangana Ranaut about Mumbai Police. I have worked with the Mumbai police for five years as chief minister and home minister and know their capacity. But, they can come under political pressure. The handling of the Sushant Singh Rajput case was wrong and hence it went to the CBI. What was happening? 40 days of inquest? This was a perfect case of ‘’aa bail mujhe maar."