On Monday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) issued a reprimand to actor and MP Kangana Ranaut over her recent comments linking the farmers’ protest to unrest in Bangladesh.
In a statement, the BJP clarified that Ranaut’s remarks do not reflect the party’s stance. “BJP MP Ms. Kangana Ranaut’s statement regarding the farmers’ protest does not align with the party’s position. The Bharatiya Janata Party disagrees with her comments and does not authorize her to speak on behalf of the party or its policies,” the statement read. The BJP also directed Ranaut to refrain from making such statements in the future, affirming its commitment to social harmony in line with its motto of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas Aur Sabka Prayaas.”
Earlier that day, Ranaut had sparked controversy with her assertion that the farmers’ protest could have led to a situation similar to the unrest in Bangladesh if not for the decisive actions taken by the Narendra Modi government. In a video posted on her X account, she claimed, “Bangladesh-like anarchy could have happened in India as a result of the farmers’ protest. External forces were planning to destabilize us with the aid of insiders. If it hadn’t been for our leadership’s foresight, they would have succeeded.”
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This is not the first time Ranaut has attracted criticism over her comments on the farmers’ protest, which occurred between 2020 and 2021 against the now-repealed farm laws. During the protest, she controversially mislabeled an elderly woman as Bilkis Bano, a key figure from the Shaheen Bagh protests, and alleged that the woman was “available for ₹100” to participate in protests.
Following her election as an MP from Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi, Ranaut was reportedly involved in an incident at Chandigarh airport on June 6, where a CISF personnel allegedly slapped her. The constable mentioned that his mother was among the farmers protesting the now-repealed farm laws. He expressed his discontent with Ranaut’s earlier statement suggesting that the farmers were protesting for monetary gain.
