Mumbai: Bollywood actress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut's demand, purportedly seeking the Chief Minister's suite in Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi, sparked a war of words between the ruling Mahayuti and Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, here on Tuesday.
Kangana Ranaut, 38, now a Lok Sabha MP elected from her home town Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, reportedly indicated her desire to stay in the CM's lavish suite in Maharashtra Sadan in the national Capital.
On the opening day of Parliament, Kangana Ranaut paid a visit to the Maharashtra Sadan on Monday, viewing almost all rooms, many of which she found too cramped for her comfort.
She apparently liked the CM's well-appointed, spacious suite there.
Slamming her for seeking the CM's suite, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP and Chief Spokesperson, Sanjay Raut termed it as preposterous and wondered “why she can't stay in the Rashtrapati Bhavan instead of eyeing Maharashtra Bhavan.”
Seemingly a bit more charitable, the Congress' ex-minister Yashomati Thakur dismissively said that since actress Kangana Ranaut is a newly-elected MP, “she may be ignorant about the protocols in such matters” and hence she could have made the plea.
NCP(SP) National Spokesperson, Clyde Crasto said that barely three years ago when she had a bitter face-off with the then MVA's CM, Uddhav Thackeray, Kangana Ranaut had compared Mumbai and Maharashtra with Pakistan.
“Now, suddenly she claims that Maharashtra is like her second home… Then why did she not contest LS polls from her ‘karmabhoomi' instead of her ‘janmabhoomi'?” demanded Crasto.
BJP MLA Nitesh N Rane hit back at the MVA leaders alleging that they should first answer for how many days did disgraced ex-cop Sachin Vaze reportedly stay at the residence of Uddhav Thackeray.
Rane also attacked the SS(UBT) leader for his comments, saying that Kangana Ranaut is an elected MP unlike Raut whom he accused of making “a backdoor entry to Parliament through Rajya Sabha.”
In the meantime, officials caught in the middle of the row have pointed out that since Kangana Ranaut is an elected MP from Himachal Pradesh, she should have raised such issues with the Himachal Bhawan authorities instead of Maharashtra Sadan, even as they have diplomatically brushed off her plea.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)