Kangana Ranaut Admits She Regrets Her Tweet on 2020 Farmers’ Protest

Kangana Ranaut Expresses Regret Over 2020 Tweet Misidentifying Elderly Farmer.

Bollywood actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut on Monday expressed regret before a Bathinda court over her 2020 tweet that wrongly identified an elderly woman farmer as Shaheen Bagh activist Bilkis Bano. Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Ranaut said the post was “a general meme” she had retweeted, not her own comment.

“I feel very nice after coming to Bathinda today. There’s a huge crowd here to meet me. I also sent a message to Mataji’s (the farmer activist’s) husband regarding the misunderstanding. I could never have imagined such a controversy,” the Mandi MP said.

When asked whether she accepted her mistake, Ranaut replied, “There was nothing original from my end. It was just a retweet of a meme. I discussed this with Mahinder Kaur’s husband. There were many protests happening at the time, and someone had made a general comment. The controversy arose from that. I’ve expressed regret over the misunderstanding.”

Advocate Raghubir Singh Beniwal, lawyer for Mahinder Kaur, said Ranaut appeared in court after being summoned to secure bail and submit her bond. “Inside the court, she said she wanted to apologise to the complainant as it was a misunderstanding. But since Mahinder Kaur was unwell, her husband attended instead. He told the court he would consult Kisan unions before deciding further,” Beniwal said.

The controversy stems from a December 2020 tweet in which Ranaut mistakenly identified farmer Mahinder Kaur as Shaheen Bagh protester Bilkis Bano and alleged she was “available for ₹100” to join protests. The remark, made during the farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s farm laws, drew widespread criticism and led to a defamation case.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court refused to quash the proceedings against Ranaut, observing, “You added spice. It was not a simple retweet.”

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for November 24.

Meanwhile, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Manjeet Rai said Ranaut should apologise personally to Mahinder Kaur. “Kangana apologised only after being summoned by the court. She should visit the woman’s home and apologise in person,” Rai said.