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Actress and Member of Parliament Kangana Ranaut was granted bail on Monday in a 2021 defamation case filed by elderly farmer-activist Mahinder Kaur. The BJP MP apologised in a Bathinda court for a social media post she made during the 2020–21 farmers’ protest.
Kangana came before the magistrate on Monday in Bathinda, Punjab, presented a bail bond, and expressed apologies for what she called a ‘misunderstanding’ caused by her 2021 tweet about the farmers' protest. She made it clear that she did not intend to specifically target Kaur, 81, and that she “respects every ‘mata’ (mother),” whether they are from Punjab or Himachal.
“Every mata, be she from Punjab or Himachal, is respectable to me. Whatever misunderstanding happened with the family of Mahinder (Kaur) ji, I explained to Mata ji through her husband about how she was the victim of a misunderstanding,” Ranaut said, according to the Indian Express.
When asked if she admitted to making a mistake, Ranaut claimed that if one examined the issue carefully, she had done nothing wrong. “There was a retweet that was used as a meme. I had nothing to do with it,” the actress said.
Kangana further expressed regret for the ‘misunderstanding’ caused by the post.
In a December 2020 social media post, she allegedly misidentified Mahinder Kaur as Bilkis Bano (who made headlines during the 2020 Shaheen Bagh protest) and claimed that older ladies at the farmers' protest were available for ₹100.
In January 2021, Kaur of Bahadurgarh Jandian village in Punjab’s Bathinda filed the defamation lawsuit , alleging Kangana damaged her reputation with false imputations and statements.
During the hearing, Ranaut emphasised that her post was a retweet of a meme and that she did not add any specific phrases with the intention of defaming anyone.
Reiterating that everything had been ‘blown out of proportion,’ she claimed she apologised to Kaur's husband in court on behalf of the complainant, who was unable to attend due to illness.
However, Mahinder Kaur's husband, Labh Singh, informed the court that they and the community would consider the apology before determining whether to accept it.
He emphasised that the family planned to take the matter further and that the apology was delayed.
Kangana's request for a permanent exemption from personal attendance will be taken into consideration by the court at the next hearing, set for November 24. Higher courts previously denied her attempts to halt the lawsuit or make an appearance on video, ruling that the tweet was more than just a repost.
Kangana came before the magistrate on Monday in Bathinda, Punjab, presented a bail bond, and expressed apologies for what she called a ‘misunderstanding’ caused by her 2021 tweet about the farmers' protest. She made it clear that she did not intend to specifically target Kaur, 81, and that she “respects every ‘mata’ (mother),” whether they are from Punjab or Himachal.
“Every mata, be she from Punjab or Himachal, is respectable to me. Whatever misunderstanding happened with the family of Mahinder (Kaur) ji, I explained to Mata ji through her husband about how she was the victim of a misunderstanding,” Ranaut said, according to the Indian Express.
When asked if she admitted to making a mistake, Ranaut claimed that if one examined the issue carefully, she had done nothing wrong. “There was a retweet that was used as a meme. I had nothing to do with it,” the actress said.
Kangana further expressed regret for the ‘misunderstanding’ caused by the post.
In a December 2020 social media post, she allegedly misidentified Mahinder Kaur as Bilkis Bano (who made headlines during the 2020 Shaheen Bagh protest) and claimed that older ladies at the farmers' protest were available for ₹100.
In January 2021, Kaur of Bahadurgarh Jandian village in Punjab’s Bathinda filed the defamation lawsuit , alleging Kangana damaged her reputation with false imputations and statements.
During the hearing, Ranaut emphasised that her post was a retweet of a meme and that she did not add any specific phrases with the intention of defaming anyone.
Reiterating that everything had been ‘blown out of proportion,’ she claimed she apologised to Kaur's husband in court on behalf of the complainant, who was unable to attend due to illness.
However, Mahinder Kaur's husband, Labh Singh, informed the court that they and the community would consider the apology before determining whether to accept it.
He emphasised that the family planned to take the matter further and that the apology was delayed.
Kangana's request for a permanent exemption from personal attendance will be taken into consideration by the court at the next hearing, set for November 24. Higher courts previously denied her attempts to halt the lawsuit or make an appearance on video, ruling that the tweet was more than just a repost.
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