‘I regret the misunderstanding’: Kangana Ranaut gets bail in 2021 defamation case, apologises to elderly woman farmer

The next hearing in the case is on November 24.

After appearing in court, Ranaut told reporters there had been a misunderstanding, adding that she could not even imagine what had been portrayed.

“Whether a mother is from Himachal or Punjab, she is respectable to me. Everyone loves me,” she said. “It was a meme that was retweeted. I had also spoken to mother Mahinder ji’s husband about this. I had nothing to do with it. There were many movements going on in the country. I had made a general tweet about that. I regret the misunderstanding that has occurred,” she added.

Kaur’s husband appeared in the court in place of her.

Earlier in the day, Ranaut arrived at the court under tight security, escorted by police officers. Narinder Singh, Superintendent of Police, Bathinda City, said the police had installed barricades and strengthened security around the court complex.

“Our main focus is to ensure that law and order remain intact so that no mischievous elements attempt to create any disturbance,” he said.

Paid protesters

The case dates back to the 2020-21 farmers’ protest, when Ranaut shared a social media post allegedly referring to Mahinder Kaur, who hails from Bahadurgarh Jandian village in Bathinda.

Ranaut commented on a post featuring a photograph of an elderly woman at the protest, claiming that some participants were being paid to attend. She also referred to the woman as “the same dadi featured in Time magazine among India’s powerful women,” adding that “she is available for Rs 100.”

The post had drawn widespread criticism, including from farmers’ union leaders. It was deleted later following outrage and the registration of the case.

Kaur lodged a defamation complaint against Kangana Ranaut on January 4, 2021, alleging that the actor’s remarks had insulted her and misrepresented her role in the farmers’ movement. After about 13 months of hearings, the Bathinda court issued a summons for Ranaut to appear in person.

Subsequently, Ranaut approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking relief in the case, which was not granted. She then approached the Supreme Court but did not receive any reprieve there either. Following the court’s directions, the BJP parliamentarian appeared before the Bathinda court on Monday.

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