Urmila Matondkar joins Shiv Sena attacks Kangana

    (Eds: Adding Matondkar's quotes on Bollywood)
    Mumbai, Dec 1 (PTI) Bollywood actor-turned-politician
Urmila Matondkar, who unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok
Sabha elections on a Congress ticket, joined the Shiv Sena on
Tuesday.
    Immediately after joining the Uddhav Thackeray-led
party, Matondkar took a swipe at actress Kangana Ranaut,
saying "unnecessary importance" has been given to the latter.
    The war of words between the BJP and the ruling Sena
had become sharper after Ranaut compared Mumbai with
Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) following the death of actor
Sushant Singh Rajput in June this year.
    Matondkar (46), who quit the Congress in September
2019, nearly five months after she was defeated by BJP's Gopal
Shetty from North Mumbai Lok Sabha seat, joined the Sena in
the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray at
his residence 'Matoshri' in suburban Bandra.
    Sena sources said Matondkar's name was forwarded to
Governor B S Koshyari by the Sena recently for nomination
to the Legislative Council from the governor's quota.
    In her first remarks after joining the Sena, Matondkar
said "unnecessary importance" has been given to actor Kangana
Ranaut.
    "Earlier interviews given by me were part of a larger
interview, but most of the questions were asked about Kangana.
I think she has been given undue importance, and (I) do not
think of giving any further importance to her," she told
reporters.
    Matondkar also confirmed that her name has been
suggested as a nominee to the Maharashtra Legislative Council
by the Sena.
    "I have been told that my name is recommended (to
governor)for the post of MLC. I wish to work for women's
issues in my political life," she said.
    When asked about her resignation from the Congress,
the actor said she had quit that party but not public service.
    "I am impressed by the leadership of Shiv Sena
president Uddhav Thackeray and his work, hence I decided to
join the party. I had received a call from Thackeray himself
before joining the party," Matondkar revealed.
    She said Sena's women's wing is already strong and she
would be glad to work with them.
    Matondkar also hailed the performance of the
Thackeray-led MVA government, which recently completed one
year in office.
    "The Maharashtra government faced various challenges
like COVID-19 pandemic, heavy rains etc, but the government
has performed extremely well in this one year (since coming to
power in November 2019). I think Sena has done well in this
test of governance," she said.
    Ranaut and Matondkar have been engaged in a war of
words.
    Matondkar had earlier said that "the entire country is
facing the menace of drugs. Does she (Kangana) know Himachal
is the origin of drugs? She should start from her own state".
    Meanwhile, when asked about Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister Yogi Adityanath's proposed meeting with film
personalities in Mumbai, Matondkar said she did't see any
possibility of "Bollywood and Mumbai getting separated".
    "It's (Mumbai and Film City) a very close association
which was formed on the efforts of hundreds of thousands of
people".
    She said Bollywood must stand up for its own cause.
    "It is wrong if films of an actor are being targeted
and appeal is made to ban them," she said.
    The "Rangeela" actor said people working in Bollywood
are vulnerable as stakes involved are high.
    "Due to this, Bollywood people try to be soft with the
powers that be," she said when asked about the reluctance of
the film industry to take stand on politics.
    Matondkar further said, "I will not pretend to have
all the information on issues like farmers' protest near
Delhi, but I think they should be heard properly. Farmers want
an audience and Centre should respond to it". PTI ND VT
NSK NSK

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)