India’s Himachal Pradesh Police have registered a case against actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut over her social media posts concerning the Gandhi family. The complaint alleges that the posts contained provocative remarks about the deaths of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, as well as Sanjay Gandhi.
According to NDTV, Shimla resident Atul Sharma lodged the complaint, alleging that Ranaut’s posts on her verified X account made insinuations about the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the three Gandhi family members. Shimla Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh confirmed the registration of the FIR on Friday and said the matter was under investigation.
The case has been registered under Sections 196, 353 and 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which relate to promoting enmity between groups, statements conducing to public mischief and defamation, respectively.
Sharma alleged that Ranaut published the posts on November 10. He subsequently approached the Director General of Police (DGP) by email, seeking the registration of an FIR and a time-bound cyber-forensic investigation into the content.
One of the posts reportedly referred to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi as a “mysterious foreign national”. It allegedly suggested that members of her family had died one after another, paving the way for her to become the head of government. The post reportedly concluded with the words, “How convenient.”
The complaint also cited Ranaut’s claim that Maneka Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi’s wife, was “thrown out” of the family residence following his death.
Sharma alleged that the remarks went beyond political criticism and could incite hostility, disturb public order and promote enmity between different groups. He further claimed that the posts contained misleading assertions capable of undermining communal harmony and national integration.
Police have initiated an investigation into the allegations. The allegations against Ranaut have not been established, and the registration of an FIR does not amount to a finding of guilt.
