Undue importance being given to Kangana's remarks, says Sharad Pawar

Undue importance is being attached to the statements made by Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said on Wednesday (September 9) without naming her.

He said people do not take her remarks seriously.

The former Union minister also said that he does not take the threat calls he received earlier this week seriously.

“We are giving undue importance to those making such statements. We will have to see what influence such statements have on the people at large,” Pawar told reporters. “In my opinion, people do not take seriously (such statements),” the veteran leader said.

Pawar said the people of Maharashtra and Mumbai have “years of experience” of how the state and city’s police work. “They (people) know the performance of the police. And hence, we need not pay heed to what one says,” he added.

Asked about the threat calls he received, Pawar said, “I have just been given the record of threat calls I received and from where those were made. I have received calls in the past too. We don’t take it seriously.”

Pawar’s comment about the state police came after Ranaut compared Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) recently and had said she feared Mumbai Police more than the “movie mafia”. She added that would prefer security either from her home state Himachal Pradesh or the Centre.

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Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh responded to that statement by saying those who think Maharashtra or Mumbai is not safe for them “have no right to live” in the state.

On Monday, he expressed surprise over the Centre’s decision to provide Y-plus security to Ranaut, who, he said, had “insulted” Mumbai and Maharashtra with her remarks.

Furthermore, Deshmukh too has received threat calls again over his stance in connection with the controversy involving actress Kangana Ranaut, sources close to him said on Wednesday.

Deshmukh received the calls from Himachal Pradesh and another location from different numbers on Tuesday and at around 6 am on Wednesday, the sources said, adding that the callers asked the minister not to get involved in the controversy involving the actress.

“The minister received five or so calls from Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday. He received two more calls at around 6 am on Wednesday,” the sources said. One of the callers identified himself as Mrutyunjay Garg, they said.

Earlier also, an anonymous caller phoned Deshmukh’s Nagpur office, threatening him and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, a minister said on Monday.

(With inputs from agencies)