Actress and politician Kangana Ranaut recently stepped back from a major legal battle. She withdrew a petition from the Supreme Court. This petition aimed to cancel a defamation complaint filed against her. The complaint stems from comments she allegedly made during the 2020-21 farmers’ protests.
Ranaut had first sought relief from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. That court had dismissed her request in August. After this setback, she took her case to the Supreme Court. However, she has now chosen to pull her application from the top court as well.
The Supreme Court’s Counsel
According to news agency PTI, Ranaut’s petition asked the Supreme Court to cancel a criminal defamation complaint. This complaint was about a retweet she made regarding the protests against the central farm laws. Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta heard the case. The bench showed little interest in considering the petition. Because of this, Ranaut’s lawyer decided to withdraw it. The judges suggested that she could explore other options at the trial court level. This advice led to the withdrawal of her petition.
A Prior Setback: The High Court’s View
Ranaut approached the Supreme Court after the Punjab and Haryana High Court rejected her petition. She had asked that court to cancel the defamation complaint against her. On August 1, the High Court dismissed her plea. It explained its decision in detail.
The High Court noted that Ranaut is a well-known celebrity. It stated that specific accusations were made against her. Her retweet allegedly contained false and defamatory claims. These claims damaged the complainant’s good name. They also harmed her image in her own eyes and the eyes of others. Therefore, the court concluded that filing a complaint to protect one’s rights cannot be called malicious.
The Origin of the Complaint
The defamation complaint against Ranaut was filed in 2021. It came from Mahinder Kaur, who is 73 years old. Kaur lives in Bahadurgarh Jandian village in Punjab’s Bathinda district. The complaint was lodged after Ranaut’s retweet. This retweet allegedly included insulting remarks about a woman protester during the 2020-21 farmers’ protests. These protests were against now-repealed farm laws.
The Controversial Retweet
The complaint, filed in a Bathinda court, detailed the actress’s remarks. It stated that Ranaut made false accusations and comments against Kaur in a retweet. In that post, Ranaut allegedly said the woman was “the same ‘Dadi’ (grandmother) who was part of the Shaheen Bagh protests.”
The controversy centers on a tweet Ranaut posted during the farmers’ movement. She retweeted another tweet, adding her own comment. She wrote, “Ha ha ha, she is the same Dadi who was featured in Time Magazine as the most influential Indian… and she is available for 100 rupees.”