A Punjab-based lawyer named Hakam Singh has sent a legal notice to Kangana Ranaut for allegedly misidentifying an old woman at the farmers’ protest in Delhi as Bilkis Bano, famously known as the ‘Shaheen Bagh dadi’. The notice demands the actor to tender an unconditional apology.
Kangana had posted a picture of Mahinder Kaur (73), a resident of village Bahadurgarh Jandian of Bhatinda, claiming that she was the same ‘Dadi’ who was part of the Shaheen Bagh protest and has now joined the farmer’s agitation. In the tweet, the actress had alleged that the old woman was available for protests for Rs 100. However, Kangana later deleted her tweet after being slammed for spreading ‘fake news’.
Punjab: Zirakpur lawyer sends legal notice to actor Kangana Ranaut demanding an apology over her tweet identifying an old woman at the farmers' protests as 'Bilkis Dadi'.
'Bilkis Dadi' was a prominent protester at the Shaheen Bagh anti-CAA demonstrations in Delhi last winter. pic.twitter.com/RJNVPl8Buh
— ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2020
I sent a legal notice for a tweet misidentifying Ms Mohinder Kaur as Bilkis Bano with an insinuation that she(Ms Kaur) was available as a hired protestor for Rs100. The notice gives Ranaut 7 days to issue an apology failing which a defamation case will be pursued: Adv Hakam Singh pic.twitter.com/KjmEYlkvo0
— ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2020
Advocate Singh sent his legal notice on November 30. He said, “I sent a legal notice for a tweet misidentifying Mahinder Kaur as Bilkis Bano with an insinuation that she (Kaur) was available as a hired protestor for Rs 100. The notice gives Ranaut seven days to issue an apology failing which a defamation case will be pursued.” The notice read, “It is to inform you that the said lady is not a fake lady. Her name is Mahinder Kaur and she belongs to Bathinda. She is the wife of farmer Labh Singh Nambardar. She in her life, has always remained connected with fields and filed work and she is the wife of a farmer.”
Speaking to a leading daily, Mohinder said that farming is extremely difficult and that is why she has joined the protest. She said, “I was told some actor wrote about me like this. She never visited my house, never saw what I am doing and she said that ‘I am available at Rs 100’. Bhot buri gal hai…assiki karnehai 100 rupaye (It’s very bad, what will I do with Rs 100?).
Bilkis Dadi was a prominent protester at the anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh and was also recognized by the American weekly Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2020.
(Source: ANI/Indian Express/Twitter)