Bombay High Court, hearing arguments in the Kangana Vs BMC matter, came down heavily on Rajya Sabha MP and senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut over his remarks against actor Kangana Ranaut.
The Bombay High Court division bench of Justice S Kathawalla and Justice Riyaz Chagla asked if this was the way a parliamentarian, a leader should react?
“Even we don’t agree with a word of what the petitioner (Kangana) has said. But is this the way to address it?”
“We are also Maharashtrians. We are all proud Maharashtrians. But we don’t go and break someone’s house. Is this the way to react? Don’t you have any grace?” This was in the backdrop of one interview to a news channel, where Sanjay Raut had allegedly used an objectionable word while referring to the actor, and further said “Nyaay Kya hai? (What is law?) Ukhad denge (we will demolish it)”. While Raut›s lawyer conceded and said such words could have been avoided but there was no intention of disrespecting the law, there was no threatening message.
“He should not have said that. But there was no threatening message. He only said that the petitioner is very dishonest…That was a remark made after the petitioner said that Maharashtra is not safe,” Adv Aditi said.
Sanjay Raut and BMC’s ‘H’ ward officer Bhagyawant Late has been made a respondent to the petition filed by Ranaut against the demolition carried out at her bungalow in Mumbai by BMC.
Senior counsel Anil Sakhre, who appeared for Late, said the officer was only performing his statutory duty in carrying out the demolition.
While the court questioned BMC on turning a blind eye when the alleged illegal construction was going on. “Why did you wait to take any action until September 5 or September 7? You had turned a blind eye to it,” the bench said.
Senior counsel Dr. Birendra Saraf representing Kangana reiterated that the actor had not constructed anything illegally, and even if there were some irregularities, those could have been regularised by the civic body. The High Court, which stayed the demolition, is now conducting a final hearing on the actor›s petition which has sought damages of Rs 2 crore for the ‘illegal’ action. The court adjourned the hearing to 5th October.
