Kangana Ranaut faces more heat as Himachal Pradesh assembly adopts resolution against her
The Himachal Pradesh assembly has adopted a Congress-backed resolution to condemn remarks made by Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Mandi Kangana Ranaut for her recent comments on farmers’ protests.
Kangana Ranaut had posted a clip of her interview with Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar in which she suggested that a “Bangladesh-like situation” could have erupted in India but for the country’s strong leadership. She then alleged that bodies were hanging and rapes were taking place during the farmers’ protest against the now-repealed three farm laws.
She alleged the involvement of China and the US in the “conspiracy”.
Kangana Ranaut’s remarks triggered heated exchanges in the assembly of her Congress-ruled home state as the House adopted a resolution condemning the remarks.
Thousands of farmers from Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and other places had held an agitation at Delhi’s borders for several months over the now-repealed farm laws.
As Haryana will go to polls on October 1, the opposition hit out at the BJP MP over the issue. AAP’s Haryana president Sushil Gupta said that this highlighted BJP’s “mindset” towards farmers. AAP held several protests in Haryana as well.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also spoke out against Kangana Ranaut, demanding an apology.
She posted on X, “Kangana Ranaut has not apologised for her statement against farmers. BJP’s statement expresses no regret about the charges made by her against farmers. She is a BJP member & MP, if no action taken against her it’s fair to say that BJP is only paying lip service to the farmers.”
In the Himachal Assembly, parliamentary affairs minister Harshwardhan Chauhan called Kangana Ranaut’s remarks an insult to the entire farm community of the country. After the BJP members returned to the House from a walkout they had staged, he asked them to clear their stand on the issue.
Members from both sides of the House started raising slogans as Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said Kangana’s remarks were personal and did not reflect the views of the party.
The BJP had already distanced themselves from the actor-turned politician’s remarks on Monday, expressing disagreement with her views and clarifying that she was neither permitted nor authorised to comment on the party’s policy matters.
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu supported the resolution and said the BJP should discussed the issue with the House themselves. Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri added that farmers were enraged due to Kangana Ranaut’s remarks and the BJP should seriously consider its conduct.
Revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi even suggested that an FIR should be registered against the Mandi MP as her remarks could create a law and order situation.
Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav said Kangana Ranaut’s remarks comments were “deliberate” and would be used as a “shield” so that the BJP had someone to blame for its future defeat in the Haryana Assembly polls.