Kangana Ranaut summoned by Delhi Assembly panel over remarks on Sikhs

Controversial actor Kangana Ranaut has been summoned by the Delhi Assembly Committee on Peace and Harmony for alleged hate speech after her remarks on social media against the Sikh community.

A panel, led by AAP MLA Raghav Chaddha, has asked her to appear before it on December 6 so that the issue could be deliberated in a "more comprehensive and coherent manner".

The committee has received multiple complaints against Ranaut's "outrageously offensive and derogatory" posts on her Instagram account, which is followed by around 80 lakh worldwide.

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The complaints have provided details of posts, which hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikh community. The complaints also expressed fear that it could disturb the peace and harmony in society.

One of the complaints said that Ranaut labelled the Sikh community as "Khalistani terrorists" and mentioned a November 20 post in which she allegedly said in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing the decision to withdraw three contentious farm laws. She had said, "Khalistani terrorists may be arm twisting the government today.... But let's not forget one woman...The only woman prime minister...." The actor went on to say that the community was crushed.

Several complaints said such statements caused "immense agony, distress and gravely hurt the religious sentiments" of the Sikh community. One of the complainants said he was also called out as a "Khalistani", which he said was not only shocking but also raised "legitimate apprehensions" in his mind regarding the safety of his family and himself.

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After vetting the complaints, the committee took cognizance of the grievances and decided to issue a summons to Ranaut.

An official statement said the committee is empowered to consider the factors and situations which have the potential to disturb communal harmony in the national capital and suggest measures to eliminate such factors and deal with such situations so as to establish harmony among different religious or linguistic communities or social groups.

This has been acknowledged and endorsed by the Supreme Court of India as it has upheld the inquisitorial and recommendatory powers of the committee, which can be utilised under the principle of better governance, it said.

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