Deputy leader of the Congress in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma on Thursday said President Ram Nath Kovind should take back the Padma award given to film actor Kangana Ranaut for her controversial statement on India’s Freedom movement. The actor was awarded the Padma Shri on Tuesday.
In a series of tweets, Mr. Sharma also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should break his silence to tell the nation if he endorsed the actor’s comments or take appropriate legal action.
On Wednesday, while participating at a conclave organised by the private television channel Times Now, Ms. Ranaut had said India’s independence in 1947 was “acquired by begging” before the British while “real independence came in 2014”.
Ms. Ranaut also described “the Congress as an extension of the British and were left behind by the colonisers”.
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“Shocking and outrageous. Ms. Kangana Ranaut’s statement heaping insult on the courageous freedom fighters led by Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru and Sardar Patel but also belittling the sacrifices of revolutionaries like Sardar Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekar Azad and several others,” Mr. Sharma said.
Tagging the official handle of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, he said, “Hon'ble @rashtrapatibhvn should immediately take back the Padma award given to Ms Ranaut. Psychiatric evaluation should be carried out before giving such awards so that such persons do not dishonour the nation and its heroes”.
“Prime Minister should break his silence and tell the nation if he endorses the views of Ms Ranaut. If not, the government should take appropriate legal action against such people,” he added.
