“You Added Masala!” – Supreme Court Slams Kangana Ranaut, Refuses to Quash Defamation Case Over Farmer Tweet

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Bollywood actress and BJP MP from Mandi, Kangana Ranaut, has suffered a major legal setback as the Supreme Court refused to quash a defamation case filed against her over a controversial comment she made during the 2021 farmers’ protest. The apex court slammed her for not merely sharing a tweet but "adding masala" to it, suggesting her involvement was more than passive.

A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta heard Kangana's plea on Friday. After listening to the arguments presented by her counsel, the bench observed:

“Your tweet cannot be considered a mere retweet. You added masala to it. What that means will be decided by the trial court. You should provide your explanation there.”

With this, the court denied her request to dismiss the case, meaning Kangana will now have to face trial in the lower court.

The defamation case stems from a tweet made by Kangana during the farmers’ protest in 2021. In her tweet, she allegedly mocked 87-year-old farmer Mahinder Kaur from Bahadurgarh Jandian village in Bathinda, suggesting that she was a "paid protester" who appeared for "Rs 100 a day."

Offended by the derogatory remark, Mahinder Kaur filed a criminal defamation suit against Kangana. In her defense, Kangana claimed that she merely reposted a lawyer’s tweet and had no intention to defame or insult anyone.

However, the Supreme Court did not find this argument sufficient, making it clear that the matter needs to be decided in trial court based on the full context and content of her post.