In her letter to Ram Nath Kovind, Swati Maliwal also demands FIR against the actor

NEW DELHI — Delhi Commission For Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal on Sunday appealed to the President Ram Nath Kovind to rescind the Padma Shri award given to Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut after she made controversial statement that demeans India’s struggle for independence at a show on a news channel a few days back.

Ranaut said India got “real freedom” in 2014, the year Narendra Modi became prime minister, adding what the country got in 1947 was ‘bheek’ (alms) from Britishers, referring to the end of colonial rule 74 years ago.

In a letter to the president, Maliwal said that the actor had “made certain outrageous statements disgracing the great freedom fighters of the country”.

The DCW chief joined the chorus of growing voices who demand arrest of Ranaut under sedition charges for her remarks.

“These statements 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 British rule through ultimate sacrifices and martyrdom of our great freedom fighters,” she wrote.

Saying that the actor’s ‘seditious’ comments have hurt the sentiments of the people Maliwal urged the president to “kindly take cognizance of the matter and withdraw the Padma Shri honour bestowed upon Ms Ranaut”.