Kangana Ranaut bungalow demolition case: Will study court order before deciding to challenge it, says Mumbai mayor
The BJP said it was a “political demolition” and BMC must not use public money to compensate Kangana Ranaut, instead, it should come out of the pockets of those who ordered the demolition
After the Bombay high court on Friday set aside the demolition notice sent to actor Kangana Ranaut by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar said they respect the order of the court. Pednekar added that the legal department of BMC will study the high court order before deciding to challenge it in the Supreme Court.
Pednekar said, “We believe in the Constitution and we respect the order of Bombay high court. We have issued similar notices in the past and even courts have accepted them. Now, this time we will have to check where we went wrong.”
On whether BMC will challenge the order in Supreme Court, Pednekar said, “Our legal department will study the entire issue once the order is served by the court. Only after that we will take a decision.”
Pednekar added, “However, I would like to add that someone coming from Himachal Pradesh to Mumbai and calling Mumbai Pakistan occupied Kashmir is wrong, and those trying to make the court a political battlefield is also wrong.”
Meanwhile, both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress have welcomed the Bombay high court order.
The BJP said it was a “political demolition” and BMC must not use public money to compensate Kangana Ranaut, instead, it should come out of the pockets of those who ordered the demolition.
The Bombay high court has also directed a valuer to ascertain the damage caused in the demolition and compensate Ranaut accordingly.
Prabhakar Shinde, BJP corporator and BJP’s group leader in BMC said, “The demolition of Kangana [Ranaut]’s structure was political vengeance. The Bombay high court order makes it clear that there was malice behind the demolition.”
Also Read: Demolition of Kangana Ranaut’s bungalow actuated by malafide: Bombay high court
Shinde added, “Also, the compensation given to Kangana Ranaut by BMC, as per Bombay high court’s order, should not be paid from public money. The mayor and municipal commissioner are responsible for the demolition, and the money should be recovered from the pockets of who ordered this political decision.”
On the other hand, the Congress welcomed the Bombay high court’s order. Ravi Raja, the Congress corporator and Leader of Opposition in BMC, said, “We welcome and respect the Bombay high court’s order. The BMC should take care and follow proper process before taking any action. At the same time, I also respect that Bombay high court has also asked Ranaut to make responsible statements.”
A division bench of justices SJ Kathawalla and RI Chagla on Friday set aside the demolition notice sent to Ranaut by BMC dated September 7 and 9 — marking a victory for Ranaut.
The high court said the demolition at her office had malafide intent, passing an order for a valuer to be appointed to ascertain the damage caused in the demolition. However, the court has also asked the actor to exercise restraint while speaking.