Himachal Assembly and AAP Condemn Kangana Ranaut's Comments on Farmers

The opposition intensified its criticism of BJP MP Kangana Ranaut on Tuesday over her comments on the farmers' protests. The Himachal Pradesh Assembly passed a Congress-supported resolution condemning her remarks, while AAP held protests in Haryana. Ranaut, representing Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, had suggested in an interview that a Bangladesh-like situation could have occurred in India without strong leadership.

Condemnation in Himachal Pradesh Assembly

In the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, heated exchanges followed Ranaut's comments. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan stated that her remarks insulted the entire farming community. After BJP members returned from a walkout, Chauhan asked them to clarify their stance on the issue. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu supported the resolution and urged BJP to discuss the matter openly.

Shiv Sena Uddhav Thackeray Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also criticised Ranaut, expecting an apology from her and regret from BJP. "Kangana Ranaut has not apologised for her statement against farmers. BJPs statement expresses no regret about the charges made by her against farmers. She is a BJP member & MP, if no action taken against her its fair to say that BJP is only paying lip service to the farmers," she posted on X.

Protests in Haryana

With Haryana's elections approaching on October 1, AAP targeted the ruling BJP over Ranaut's remarks. The party's Haryana unit staged protests in various locations, including Jind, Yamunanagar, and Panchkula. AAP leaders claimed that her statement reflected BJP's mindset towards farmers. Haryana AAP president Sushil Gupta called Ranaut's remarks shameful and alleged that BJP harbours animosity towards farmers due to their role in repealing the farm laws.

Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi suggested filing an FIR against Ranaut as her comments could incite law and order issues. Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri echoed this sentiment, stating that farmers were furious over her remarks and urged BJP to reconsider its conduct seriously.

Political Reactions

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused Ranaut of making deliberate comments to shield BJP's top leadership from blame for an anticipated defeat in Haryana polls. "This is the BJPs script, which is being read out by an actress as dialogue on the instructions of a top director," Yadav said in a post on X.

Himachal Pradesh PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh criticised Ranaut's allegations involving China and the US in the farmer unrest as baseless and intellectually bankrupt. He emphasised that as an elected representative, she should be cautious when speaking on sensitive issues. He also called for a response from the Union Government to address her claims undermining national foreign policy.

Congress Leaders' Statements

Himachal Pradesh Congress president Pratibha Singh condemned Ranaut's remarks as a grave insult to farmers. She pointed out that despite BJP expressing disagreement with her comments, their refusal to apologise exposed their double standards. Vikramaditya Singh added that such statements insulted farmers' struggles and sacrifices, especially since the controversial farm laws had been repealed by the prime minister.

Thousands of farmers from Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and other regions had protested at Delhi's borders for several months against these now-repealed farm laws. The opposition continues to demand an apology from Kangana Ranaut for her divisive remarks against farmers.

The controversy surrounding Kangana Ranaut's comments has sparked significant political reactions and protests across multiple states, highlighting ongoing tensions related to the farmers' protests and their aftermath.