The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) began demolishing allegedly illegal structures at actress Kangana Ranaut's home-cum-office in Mumbai.
The corporation had issued a caveat notice to the actress on Tuesday asking her to explain the illegal constructions. The actress did not take lightly to the act by the corporation, terming it 'death of democracy' on Twitter.
Ranaut, 33, has been involved in a war of words with the Maharashtra government after she compared Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The actress has been given Y+ security detail, which includes 11 police guards, on her return to Mumbai today.
However, the action by the BMC has spurred the actress to call it part of a larger conspiracy against her. In her tweet, Ranaut again compared Mumbai to PoK, adding that the actions suggest the 'death of democracy' in the city.
I am never wrong and my enemies prove again and again this is why my Mumbai is POK now #deathofdemocracy 🙂 pic.twitter.com/bWHyEtz7Qy
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 9, 2020
The actress also denied having any illegal construction in her office and questioned why the BMC chose to conduct a demolition during a pandemic.
There is no illegal construction in my house, also government has banned any demolitions in Covid till September 30, Bullywood watch now this is what Fascism looks like 🙂#DeathOfDemocracy #KanganaRanaut
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 9, 2020
Pakistan.... #deathofdemocracy pic.twitter.com/4m2TyTcg95
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 9, 2020
Babur and his army 🙂#deathofdemocracy pic.twitter.com/L5wiUoNqhl
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 9, 2020
According to reports, the BMC had listed 14 violations at Ranaut's office located at tony Pali Hill in Bandra, Mumbai. On 8 September, the Hindustan Times newspaper quoted Vinayak Vispute, assistant municipal commissioner in charge of the H-West ward, saying, "The site inspection was conducted according to the approved plans in the BMC’s development plan department. We have listed out several violations in the notice and will await her reply on the same. Depending on that, further action will be taken."
The demolition began at 11am today with the actress set to arrive in Mumbai later in the day. Ranaut had triggered the controversy last week when she said she was afraid of the Mumbai police after having raised the issue of their allegedly botched investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death, purportedly by suicide.
This brought a quick and abusive response from Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, who edits the paper newspaper Saamna, leading to the actress retorting that Mumbai had become like PoK.
Since then, Ranaut has been provided a Y+ security detail, equivalent to the security provided to the chief justice of India, by the Union home ministry to protect her on her return to Mumbai.