Manjhi urges Prez to take back Padma Shri from Kangana Ranaut

Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Thursday requested President Ram Nath Kovind to take back the coveted Padma Shri award conferred on Hindi film actor Kangana Ranaut over her controversial "real freedom" remark.

"The President should take back Kangana Ranaut's Padma Shri award or the entire world would be given to understand that Mahatma Gandhi, Jawahar Lal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Bhagat Singh, Sardar patel, Shayama Prasad Mukherjee and others had begged for freedom which was given by the British. Shame on Kangana," Manjhi tweeted.

In an interview to a TV channel, Kangana had said: "freedom got through begging, is not real freedom. We achieved real freedom in 2014."

Besides Jitan Ram Manjhi, BJP leader Varun Gandhi also reacted sharply to her statement.

"Once she insulted the sacrifices of Mahatma Gandhi and applauded his murderer. Now, she insulted the sacrifices of Mangal Pandey, Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekher Azad, Rani Laxmi Bai, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, and lakhs of freedom fighters who had struggled for freedom. What would I say to a person of such a mindset mad or treason? - IANS