Kangana Ranaut Granted Bail in Defamation Case Over Farmers’ Protest Social Media Post

Kangana Ranaut has been granted bail in a defamation case linked to her social media post during the 2020-21 farmers’ protests. She expressed regret over the misunderstanding and clarified she did not target anyone personally. 

Kangana Ranaut, the Bollywood actor-turned-politician, has been granted bail by a court in Bathinda, Punjab, in a defamation case linked to her social media post during the 2020-21 farmers’ protests. On Tuesday, she appeared in court and expressed regret over the misunderstanding her post had caused, stressing that she did not intend to target anyone personally.

Ranaut Addresses Media After Court Appearance

Kangana had sought to appear via video conference, but the court required her physical presence. Speaking to the media after the hearing, the Mandi MP said, “Whatever misunderstanding happened with the family of Mahinder [Kaur] ji, I gave a message to her husband for ‘mata ji’ about how she was the victim of a misunderstanding.”

She admitted to the unintentional error, explaining, “There was a retweet, which was used as a meme. I have also spoken and discussed this with the husband of Mahinder ji.” Ranaut emphasized that the meme featured several women and that her comments were not directed at any particular individual.

Background of the Case

The controversy began when Ranaut mistakenly identified 73-year-old Punjab farmer Mahinder Kaur as Bilkis Bano, a key protester from Shaheen Bagh, in a social media post claiming Kaur could attend the protests for “Rs 100.” Feeling defamed, Kaur filed a criminal complaint under Sections 499 and 500 of the IPC, citing harm to her reputation and dignity.

With bail now granted, Kangana Ranaut has clarified her stance, expressed regret for the misunderstanding, and indicated her willingness to cooperate with the legal process.