MP provide security to Kangana after Cong leaders' threat

Madhya Pradesh police have put in place thick security cover around Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut in the wake of a threat by some state Congress leaders that they would not allow her shoot for a film if she did not apologise to farmers over her tweets, an official said on Friday.

Shooting for "Dhaakad", Ranaut's new film, is going on in Sarni area of Betul district.

Sarni City Superintendent of Police Abhay Ram Choudhary said, "Security has been tightened for the actress after MP Home Minister Narottam Mishra directed Betul Superintendent of Police Simala Prasad to do so."

Police personnel equipped with batons and firearms are deployed around the coal handling plant near a power project, where the shooting is on, he added.

"Police will man gate numbers two and four of the CHL,from where actors usually enter the shooting venue," Choudhary said.

An inspector has been assigned to oversee Ranaut's safety at the resort, located around 45 km from Sarni town, where she is during for the shoot, he said.

"We will ensure that she does not face any disturbance during the shoot," the CSP added.

As per the film schedule, her shoot at Sarni would end on February 17, the police officer said.

State Congress Sewa Dal secretary Manoj Arya and Chicholi Block Congress Committee president Nekram Yadav had on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to a tehsildar in Betul, in which they threatened that they would not allow Ranaut to shoot at Sarni if she does not apologise by Friday evening over her comments against the ongoing farmers' protest.

The Congress leaders had alleged that Ranaut had maligned farmers.

On Thursday, Narottam Mishra had said that the government will ensure that "behan-beti" Kangana faces no problem while shooting.

He had also urged state Congress chief Kamal Nath to dissuade his party workers from disrupting the shoot.

Twitter had recently deleted some of Ranaut's controversial tweets over the farmers' protest.