Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik made the remarks on actor Kangana Ranaut today.
Bristling at actor Kangana Ranaut's new Y-plus security, a leader of the Shiv Sena commented today that the central government would give protection even to Dawood Ibrahim just to spite the Maharashtra government.
The Shiv Sena, which heads Maharashtra's ruling coalition, has been sparring with Kangana Ranaut over her comments comparing Mumbai to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and claiming she felt "unsafe" in the city. The row is linked to the actor's comments criticizing Mumbai police and Maharashtra on the Sushant Singh Rajput death investigations.
"If the Maharashtra government speaks against Dawood (most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim) tomorrow, the central government will also give protection to Dawood. They just have to oppose the Maharashtra government," Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik.
"How much love the central government has for Maharashtra. The Women's Commission does not even see rapes in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar. They come to hear today that Kangana has been given Y Security. Even today she is probably on the Mumbai Police Do not trust list. Our police are constantly working, many have died due to the coronavirus... Still they do not trust them," he charged.
The MLA also said he had demanded action against "those who compare Mumbai and Maharashtra with PoK", without naming Kangana Ranaut.
Maharashtra cabinet minister Vijay Vadettiwar said Kangana Ranaut was getting away with attacks on the state and Mumbai with support from the BJP. "The Maharashtra BJP should clear their stand on Kangana. Do they support the statements given by her against Maharashtra Police," Mr Vadettiwar demanded.
Kangana Ranaut will be protected by a Personal Security Officer and 11 armed policemen including commandos, sources in the Union Home Ministry said, citing a "renewed threat" to the actor after she spoke about drug use among a section in the film industry following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput".
The actor tweeted thanking Home Minister Amit Shah: "This proves that a patriot's voice cannot be crushed by fascists. I am grateful to Amit Shah, if he wanted, he could have advised me to go to Mumbai after a few days but he respected a daughter of India, protected her pride and self-respect. Jai Hind."
The 33-year-old actor has been ranged against the Shiv Sena over her comments on the handling of the Sushant Singh Rajput case and her statement that "Mumbai was feeling like Pakistan-occupied- Kashmir".
Currently based in her native Himachal Pradesh, Ms Ranaut had criticised the Mumbai Police probe into the actor's death and had said under the current Sena-led government, she feared living in Mumbai. The comment enraged the Shiv Sena, which runs a coalition government in Maharashtra. Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh of the NCP said she should "not return to Mumbai if she feels unsafe".