Mumbai:

Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik should be immediately arrested for threatening actor Kangana Ranaut, who has triggered a controversy with her remark that Mumbai “felt like Pakistan-occupied Kashmir”, National Commission For Women Chairperson Rekha Sharma tweeted on Friday.

“According to ANI, Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik threatened Kangana in an interview. He must immediately get arrested, Mumbai Police. Taking suo motu (cognizance),” Ms Sharma tweeted.

According to @ANI@ShivSena MLA Pratap Sarnaik threaten @KanganaTeam in an interview. He must immediately get arrested @CPMumbaiPolice. Taking suo motu. pic.twitter.com/S0lUN2zobX

— Rekha Sharma (@sharmarekha) September 4, 2020

A supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, Ms Ranaut has been targeting the Congress-Shiv Sena- NCP government and Bollywood over the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

After her constant attacks on the government and Mumbai Police, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut had written in the party mouthpiece: “We kindly request her not to come to Mumbai. This is nothing but an insult to Mumbai Police. The Home Ministry should take action over it.”

On Mr Raut’s remark, Ms Ranaut had responded by saying,” Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena leader, has given me an open threat and asked me not to come back to Mumbai, after Aazadi graffitis in Mumbai streets and now open threats, why Mumbai is feeling like Pakistan occupied Kashmir?”

The actor’s reaction was slammed by several politicians from the ruling parties. Mr Sarnaik, however, went a step further as he said his party’s women members will slap her if she lands in Mumbai.

“MP Sanjay Raut cautioned Kangana in a very mild way. If she comes here then our brave women will not leave without slapping her. I will demand Kangana to be booked for sedition for comparing Mumbai, the city which creates industrialists and film stars, to PoK,” Mr Sarnaik tweeted in Marathi on Friday.

Ms Ranaut on Friday, in a dare to Mr Raut without naming him, tweeted she will land at the Mumbai airport on September 9. “Kisi ke baap mein himmat hai toh rok le (Stop me if you dare),” she wrote.

Mr Rajput, a successful actor, was found dead in his Mumbai home in June. The Mumbai Police had said he died by suicide but his family demanded a probe into the circumstances leading to his death. His father KK Singh had filed a complaint in Bihar against the actor’s friend Rhea Chakraborty and her family, alleging financial cheating Mr Rajput and harassment. The probe was later transferred to CBI, which has called Ms Chakraborty several times for questioning.