Television actress Kavita Kaushik on Monday (November 15) took a dig at Kangana Ranaut's Padma Shri honour and questioned why actor Priyanka Chopra never got it. Kavita took to Twitter and wrote, “Why didn’t she get padamshree!? Fantastic actor, Brilliant human being, Globally a huge success and has put indian culture on a pedestrial without holding a flag about it ! And yes has never insulted any senior or contemporary artist or anyone for that matter! She is awesome!!"
However, Kavita seems to not know that Priyanka Chopra was awarded the Padma Shri in 2016.
On November 11, Kangana had said that India attained freedom in 2014 when the Narendra Modi-led government came to power and described the country's Independence in 1947 as "bheekh" or alms. Her statement stirred up a storm and invited major backlash. Delhi Commission For Women (DCW) Swati Maliwal wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind, urging him to withdraw Kangana's Padma Shri. She also demanded sedition charges against her.
"The freedom attained due to Bhagat Singh, Azad and Gandhi seems like 'bheek' to her and she calls 'satta ki ghulami' (being a slave to those in power) real freedom. Did she get a national award for such thinking?" Maliwal tweeted in Hindi, while sharing Ranaut's video clip in which she made the comments.
Later, Kangana said on social media that she will return her Padma Shri award if anyone can prove that she has disrespected martyrs and freedom fighters. Previously, several politicians have also reacted with outrage at her comments.
The Aam Aadmi Party had also submitted an application to the Mumbai Police demanding a case against her for "seditious and inflammatory" comments, while politicians across the spectrum, including BJP MP Varun Gandhi, were among a host of social media users and others who reacted with outrage at Ranaut's comments.
Ranaut has often been in news for her headline grabbling and controversial statements -- be it her long-standing fight with filmmaker Karan Johar on nepotism, locking horns with Diljit Dosanjh on the farmers' protest, her Twitter comments criticising the ruling Shiv Sena government or comparing Mumbai to Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
She was given Y-plus category security by the central government after she said she felt unsafe in Mumbai following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and also spoke of drug use in a section of the film industry.
Also read: Vishal Dadlani reacts to Kangana Ranaut's freedom remark: Remind the lady who said Independence was 'bheekh'
On the work front, Kangana will be seen in 'Manikarnika Returns: The Legend Of Didda', 'Emergency', 'Dhaakad', 'Tejas', and 'The Incarnation: Sita'.
Also read: Actor Vikram Gokhale comes out in support of Kangana Ranaut's 'bheek' statement regarding India's Independence
