MP: Water sprayed to disperse Cong workers protesting against Kangana Ranaut
Police in Madhya Pradesh''s Betul district on Friday evening sprayed water on Congress workers who were protesting against Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut near a venue where she is shooting for a film. Police had deployed heavy security in Sarni area after local Congress leaders threatened two days ago that they would not allow Ranaut to shoot if she did not apologize, by Friday evening, over her tweets against the farmers protesting at Delhi borders.
Over 100 protesters gathered near gate numbers 2 and 4 of the coal handling plant of a power station, near where the shooting of the film "Dhaakad" is going on, on Friday evening.
Protesters were dispersed by using water jets from fire brigade vehicles, said Sarni City Superintendent of Police Abhay Ram Choudhary.
Ranaut usually comes for shooting around 6 pm but on Friday she was scheduled to appear late in the evening and was not present when the protesters thronged the spot.
Choudhary denied local Congress unit''s allegation that batons were used against protesters, including women.
On Thursday, Home Minister Narottam Mishra had said he had asked police to ensure that the shooting was not disrupted.
Police personnel carrying batons and even firearms were deployed around the site, while an inspector was assigned to oversee Ranaut''s safety at a resort 45 km away where she is staying, the official said.
Ranaut''s shoot is to end on February 17, he added.
State Congress Sewa Dal secretary Manoj Arya and Chicholi Block Congress Committee president Nekram Yadav had on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to a tehsildar in Betul.
They had threatened that they would not allow Ranaut to shoot at Sarni if she did not apologize by Friday evening over her comments against the ongoing farmers'' protest on Delhi borders.
The Congress leaders alleged that Ranaut had maligned farmers who are protesting against the Centre''s new agri laws.
Twitter had deleted some of Ranaut''s controversial tweets on the ongoing protests.
On Thursday, home minister Mishra had said the BJP government in the state will ensure that "behan-beti" (sister-daughter) Kangana" faced no problem while shooting.
