Kangana Ranaut-Journalist row: Kangana lodges a complaint with Press Council of India over ‘ban’, urges action against Entertainment Journalists Guild and others

After sending a legal notice to the Entertainment Journalists Guild of India, Kangana Ranaut, through her legal team, has now sent a notice to Press Council of India after the controversy over a ‘ban’ imposed on the actress by media persons. In an official complaint filed with the body, the lawyers have urged the Press Council of India to act against the journalists involved in the spat and the ‘illegal’ formation of the Entertainment Journalists Guild of India and thereby a ‘cartel’ to target the National Award-winner. 

READ: Kangana Ranaut Sends Legal Notice To Entertainment Journalists Guild Over ‘ban’, Issues 24-hour Ultimatum To 'rectify All Wrongs'

In the notice, Kangana’s lawyer Rizwan Siddiquee has termed the actions of journalist, Justin Rao, who got into a verbal spat with the actress at an event for the movie ‘Judgementall Hai Kya’ as ‘absolutely unprofessionally and patently illegal acts’ which involves ‘ridiculing, annoying, insulting, criminally intimidating and defaming’ the actress and also ‘conniving’ with other journalists to create a ‘cartel’ by creating an ‘unregistered’ body called Entertainment Journalists Guild of India and trying to ‘extort an apology’ from Kangana through ‘threats, force, coercion and intimidation.’ It also stated that the Entertainment Journalists Guild of India ‘illegally acted as a court/adjudicating’ authority to ‘illegally enforce a ban’ on Kangana. 

The notice demanded, “That because of these illegal acts so brazenly indulged in by these journalists, it has become absolutely urgent and critical for your esteemed organisation to immediately act upon this complaint and invoke the powers vested in your statutory body as per Section 13  of the Press Council Act 1978, and to forthwith hold an inquiry into the said matter as per Section 14 of the said Act and decide on the same in the interest of Justice, as no other Court is seized of the said subject matter as yet.” 

READ: Mumbai Press Club Backs Boycott Of Kangana Ranaut, Says 'will Examine The Option Of Pressing Charges Of Abuse'

In the notice, they even accused another journalist Sanjay Mishra Katyani of being guilty of misusing his position as a journalist to ‘mischievously gain information’ regarding the actress to ‘ridicule’ and ‘defame’ her. 

This complaint follows the legal team sending a notice to Entertainment Journalists Guild and giving them a 24-hour ultimatum to ‘rectify all wrongs’ on Saturday. 

Kangana had accused the journalist, before he could complete his question, of running a ‘smear campaign’ against her, an allegation that was denied by him. The other journalists had stood up for him, following which the decision to enforce a ban on the actress was taken by the Entertainment Journalists Guild of India.  

While one of the producers, Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Motion Pictures expressed regret over the incident, Kangana in a video, further mocked the fraternity. Her sister Rangoli Chandel has also been going hammer and tongs against the media persons.