Sharad Pawar meets Maharashtra CM as Kangana Ranaut row rages on in Mumbai

Mumbai, Sep 09: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday met Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray at the latter's official residence in Mumbai. State minister and Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab was also present.

The meeting came on a day Mumbai witnessed high drama after the BMC demolished parts of a house belonging to Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut. The demolition drive was later stayed by the Bombay High Court.

Undue importance is being attached to the statements made by Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, Pawar said without naming her.

He said people are not taking her remarks seriously.

The former Union minister also said that he does not take seriously the threat calls he received earlier this week.

Ranaut waded into controversy after she recently likened Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and said she feared the city Police more than the "movie mafia".

"We are giving undue importance to those making such statements. We will have to see what influence such statements have on the people at large," Pawar told reporters.

"In my opinion, people do not take seriously (such statements)," the veteran leader said.

Pawar said the people of Maharashtra and Mumbai have "years of experience" of how the state and city's police work.

"They (people) know the performance of the police. And hence, we need not pay heed to what one says," he added.

Asked about the threat calls he received, Pawar said, "I have just been given the record of threat calls I received and from where those were made.

"I have received calls in the past too. We don't take it seriously," the leader added.