Delhi Commission of Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal on Sunday said she had written to President Ram Nath Kovind urging that the Padma Shri awarded to actor Kangana Ranaut be taken back in the wake of her recent comments on India’s Independence. The DCW chief also sought registration of FIR against Kangana Ranaut on sedition charges after the actor described India’s independence in 1947 as “bheekh” or alms.

The DCW chief's letter claimed that this was not an isolated incident and that the actor "appears to not be of sound mind". Swati Maliwal added that "she [Kangana Ranaut] habitually spews venom against people of her own country and has repeatedly used vile language to attack those she does not agree with."

In the letter, DCW chief asked the President to take immediate cognisance of these comments which are “seditious in nature. "

“The actor's statement reflect her hatred for our great freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh and countless others who laid down their lives for the nation. We all know that our nation got its independence from the British rule through ultimate sacrifices and martyrdom of our great freedom fighters. Ms Ranaut’s statements have hurt the sentiments of millions of Indians and are seditious in nature," the letter read.

“The revolt of 1857, the Champaran Satyagrah, the Khilafat movement, the Quit India movement, the Dandi march, the non-cooperation movement and countless other protests and the sacrifices of millions of Indians who participated in the same have been demeaned and belittled by Ms. Ranaut through her insensitive and thoughtless lies,” the letter mentioned.

DCW chief questioned, “How can we forget the thousands who had assembled in the Jallianwala Bagh to protest the British rule and the massacre that followed? Are these chapters in our history a ‘bheekh’?"

Kangana Ranaut, in a post on Facebook, wrote an "OPEN LETTER AND OPEN CHALLENGE" wherein she terms the Congress as "beggar".

She went on to mention justify her "Aazadi in 2014" statement. She said that the nation's "consciousness and concise was set free in 2014. "

Swati Maliwal also took to Twitter and slammed Kangana Ranaut for her comments.

She said, "I have written to President Ram Nath Kovind Ji that someone like Kangana Ranaut who doesn't respect and acknowledge the supreme sacrifices made by our freedom fighters and calls Indian freedom as "Bheekh" should be taught a lesson. I have asked the President to withdraw her Padma Shri immediately and for lodging a FIR on sedition charges against her.”

Image courtesy: PTI