Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Kangana of “insulting the farmers” with her remarks, further fueling outrage against the Bharatiya Janata Party leader
Our Bureau
Chandigarh/New Delhi
Kangana Ranaut, the MP from Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi, stoked a controversy this week by suggesting that the farmers’ protests could have led to a Bangladesh-like crisis in the country if the leadership was not strong enough.
After Ranaut’s statement, the Bharatiya Janata Party has distanced itself from Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut’s statement about the farmers’ agitation and also asked the actor-turned-politician to refrain from giving such statements in the future.
“The statement made by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut in the context of the farmers’ movement is not the opinion of the party. Bharatiya Janata Party expresses disagreement with the statement made by Kangana Ranaut. On behalf of the party, Kangana Ranaut is neither permitted nor authorized to make statements on party policy issues,” the party said in a release.
“On behalf of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Kangana Ranaut has been directed not to make any such statements in future. Bharatiya Janata Party is committed to following the principles of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’ and social harmony,” it added.
Earlier Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala attacked the BJP over Kangana’s remarks on farmers and said that the BJP has always lied, deceived, conspired and oppressed the farmers. “Get well soon Kangana! After all, why do BJP people hate the country’s food providers so much? BJP has always lied, deceived, conspired and oppressed our farmers. And once again a BJP MP has made baseless allegations against our food providers…” the Congress leader posted on X.
Surjewala also attached a news report in his post. According to the media report, Kangana stirred controversy by suggesting that the farmers’ protests could have led to a Bangladesh-like situation if strong measures had not been taken by the government.
Also, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has intensified criticism against Kangana Ranaut, condemning her recent comments on the farmers’ protest. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Kangana of “insulting the farmers” with her remarks, further fueling outrage against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader.
The Congress MP criticized Kangana for comparing the struggles of farmers and labelling them as “rapists and representatives” of foreign forces.
“The propaganda machinery of the Modi government, which has failed to fulfil the promises made to the farmers, is continuously engaged in insulting them. The BJP MP’s remarks, calling farmers who sacrificed 700 comrades during the 378-day marathon struggle ‘rapists’ and ‘representatives of foreign forces,’ is further evidence of the BJP’s anti-farmer policies and intentions,” Rahul Gandhi wrote in a post on X.
Later, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday lashed out at BJP MP Kangana Ranaut for her recent remarks on the farmers. He noted that the BJP has also distanced itself from Ranaut’s comments, and the Congress Party strongly opposes them as well. “Farmers and gardeners are the food providers of this country. It is not good to make any kind of comment on them. No one has the right to insult them by making such statements. BJP has also distanced itself from the statement and the Congress Party opposes this”
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, responding to the recent remarks of actor-turned-politician and MP Kangana Ranaut on farmers’ agitation, said people elected Kangana to resolve the issues of her parliamentary constituency, Mandi, and not to make “absurd” and “baseless” statements.
“…People elected her as an MP to resolve the issues of Mandi constituency, and not to make absurd and baseless statements that would create unrest in society. It is an incorrect statement; an MP should not make such statements that would hurt someone…,” said Bhagwant Mann.
“BJP should not just say that it is a statement made in a personal capacity, they should also control this…If you make such absurd statements, then naturally there will be anger. So, I would like to tell the BJP Government to control its MPs…All kinds of statements are made for farmers’ protest, this is intolerable,” he added.
