Kangana says sorry to elderly farmer for ‘Rs 100 protester’ remark

Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut was on Monday granted bail by a Bathinda court in a defamation case filed by 82-year-old Mahinder Kaur over an alleged derogatory remark made during the 2020-21 farmers’ protest.

After appearing before the court, Kangana told mediapersons, “It was just a misunderstanding. I had only retweeted a meme and did not intend to hurt anyone. I have already discussed the matter with Mahinder Kaur’s husband and apologised to him as she was not present today. During the farmers’ andolan, several memes were being circulated and one of them was retweeted by me inadvertently. I cannot even think in my dreams of what has been portrayed. Whether a mother is from Himachal Pradesh or Punjab, she is respectable to me. See the number of my fans present here and their love for me.”

However, Advocate Raghbir Singh Behniwal, counsel for complainant Mahinder Kaur, disputed the BJP MP’s claim. “Kangana told the court that she retweeted by mistake and did not target anyone. But my client’s husband Labh Singh has said she never apologised earlier. She also moved an application seeking permanent exemption from personal appearance on security grounds, which we opposed, saying the plea was received only today,” he said. Labh Singh said his wife could not attend the proceedings due to ill health.

The case has now been transferred from the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class to the Judicial Magistrate First Class (Special Court). The next hearing is scheduled for November 24. Kangana personally appeared before three courts, where she remained for nearly an hour.

The case relates to a tweet by Kangana during the farmers’ protest, where she shared a photograph of Mahinder Kaur from Bahadurgarh Jandian village here, mistaking her for Shaheen Bagh protester Bilkis Bano and alleging that such women were “available for Rs 100” to join protests. The remark drew widespread outrage, prompting Mahinder Kaur to file a defamation complaint in January 2021.

Kangana’s appearance followed a Supreme Court directive after her plea for exemption from personal appearance was rejected. Her earlier requests for virtual hearing and exemption had also been turned down by the Bathinda court and the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Despite approaching the apex court to quash the proceedings, she was denied relief.

The police had turned the district courts complex into a high-security zone, deploying additional personnel and erecting barricades.

Meanwhile, Bathinda MP and former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal congratulated Mahinder Kaur, saying, “I thank Mahinder Kaur who taught a lesson to the arrogant woman (Kangana) and upheld the honour of Punjab’s mothers, sisters and daughters. Despite her age, she made this woman come down from the hills and climb the steps of the Bathinda court, showing great courage. We are confident the law will hold her accountable for her defamatory and insulting acts.”

AICC secretary Pargat Singh said Kangana should learn a lesson from this incident and refrain from using inappropriate language.