Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Aug 26: The BJP on Monday reprimanded its Member of Parliament from Mandi Kangana Ranaut and quickly distanced itself from the shocking remarks from the actress-politician calling the farmers anarchists about to create Bangladesh-like crisis in India but for the strong steps taken by the Narendra Modi government.
As her comments sparked off a controversy, particularly with Haryana, which had a large representation of farmers in the agitation last year, going to the polls, the BJP sensing trouble promptly issued the clarification on Monday that Kangana Ranaut was neither permitted nor authorised to make comments on the party’s policies and her comments did not represent the party’s views.
The BJP’s disapproval came a day after the 38-year-old BJP MP suggested that the farmers’ protest could have led to a Bangladesh-like crisis in India if not for the strong steps taken by the government. “Outside forces are planning to destroy us with the help of insiders. If it wouldn’t have been foresight of our leadership they would have succeeded,” the Mandi MP said during the promotion for her upcoming movie ‘Emergency.’
“Kangana Ranaut is not authorised to speak on policy matters on behalf of the party and has not been given permission to do so. The BJP has directed Ms Ranaut to refrain from making such statements in the future,” the BJP said in a statement. “The BJP is committed to follow the principles of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’ and social harmony,” the party statement said.
Earlier, BJP leaders in Haryana and Punjab also advised the MP from Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi to refrain from making inflammatory comments. “It is not Kangana’s department to speak on farmers, Kangana’s statement is personal. PM Modi and the BJP are farmer-friendly. The Opposition parties are working against us and Kangana’s statement is doing the same. She should not make such statements, on sensitive or religious issues, religious organisations,” Punjab BJP leader Harjit Grewal said.
Her comments also drew a response from the Congress with leader Randeep Surjewala asking the BJP leader to “get well soon.” Mr Surjewala, who is campaigning in poll-bound Haryana that witnessed year-long farmers’ protest, asked, “Were these just Kangana’s words or did someone else copy them? If not, then why is the BJP silent on the issue?”
Ms Ranaut, known for her provocative remarks, has been a strong critic of the farmers’ protest against the now-repealed three farm laws. In 2020, she allegedly misidentified a woman farmer from Punjab who was taking part in the protests with an elderly woman who had become one of the faces of the anti-Citizenship Amendment Law (CAA) protests earlier in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh. She had also said the woman was “available for ₹ 100” probably suggesting she could be hired by anyone for protests.
The statement sparked a massive row that resurfaced when Ms Ranaut was slapped by a lady Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable at the Chandigarh airport while she was on her way to Delhi after her election as MP in June this year. The woman Ms Ranaut called “available for Rs 100” happened to be the lady constable’s mother and she said she was waiting for an opportunity to “teach the actor-politician a lesson.”
Ranaut’s comments came at a time when Assembly elections are around the corner in Haryana. Farmers from Haryana and Punjab were leading massive protests against now-withdrawn farm laws in 2020 and camped at borders of Delhi for more than a year.
She also blamed vested interests and “foreign powers” for the continuation of the protests even after the laws were repealed. “What happened in Bangladesh, it could have easily happened here too. There is a conspiracy by foreign powers and these filmy people thrive on it. They don’t care if the country goes to the dogs,” Kangana alleged.
Congress Social Media Chairperson Supriya Shrinate said Ranaut called the country’s farmers “murderers and rapists,” and demanded the BJP to remove Ranaut from the party. “Yesterday, a very ridiculous statement was heard, which made people hang their heads in shame and become angry. Kangana Ranaut is an expert in making such statements, but now she is not just a film actress but a BJP MP. Yesterday, Kangana Ranaut called the country’s farmers murderers and rapists. Hardly any politician would have used such words for the food providers of this country. She also said America and China were trying to spread instability in the country by organizing farmers’ protests,” she said at a press conference.
Taking a subtle jibe at the Mandi MP, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala asked her “Get well soon.” Surjewala wrote on X, “After all, why do BJP people hate the country’s food providers so much? The 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 question is, has Kangana made this cheap allegation against the farmers as per the BJP’s election strategy?”
When Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was questioned on Ranaut’s remarks, he refused to comment and said “it was her personal opinion.”