Ramdas Athawale meets Maharashtra governor over demolition of Kangana Ranaut's office, says 'justice' must be given

Mumbai: Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Friday met Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, seeking “justice” and compensation for Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut , whose office in Mumbai was partially pulled down by the civic body. Athawale said he told the governor that Ranaut was served notice and the demolition was carried out within 24 hours of that on Wednesday by the Shiv Sena-controlled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) while she was not in the city. The Union Minister of State for Social Justice had met the actress at her residence in Khar on Thursday and told her that she need not be afraid while in the city. “I held discussions with the governor for 20-25 minutes (at Raj Bhavan). We discussed the issue relating to Kangana Ranaut. Injustice was meted out to her,” Athawale told reporters after the meeting. Alleging that the BMC also broke furniture in Ranaut’s office during the demolition drive, he accused the civic body of misusing its powers. “I urged the governor to ensure that Kangana gets justice and compensation,” Athawale said. The Shiv Sena, which heads the alliance government in the state, and Ranaut had engaged in a war of words after she likened Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and said she feared Mumbai Police more than alleged movie mafia. Using a bulldozer and excavators, a BMC team had demolished the alterations allegedly made without the civic body’s approval at Ranaut’s bungalow at Pali Hill on Wednesday morning. Ranaut arrived in the city the same day after the demolition. Athawale’s party — RPI(A) had come out in support of the actress and offered her security at the Mumbai airport when she returned to the city amid sloganeering by Shiv Sena workers.