The Opposition on Tuesday (August 27, 2024) stepped up attack on BJP MP Kangana Ranaut over her remarks on farmers' protests with the Himachal Pradesh Assembly adopting a Congress-backed resolution to condemn her comments and AAP holding protests at several places in Haryana.
The Member of Parliament (MP) from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh 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 She then alleged that bodies were hanging and rapes were taking place during the farmers' protest against the now-repealed three farm laws.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".
Ms. Kangana's remarks triggered heated exchanges in the assembly of her Congress-ruled home state as the House adopted a resolution condemning the remarks.
With Haryana going to polls on October 1, the opposition targeted the ruling BJP over the issue. The Aam Aadmi Party's Haryana unit staged protests in the State against her remarks, with a party leader saying her statement indicates the BJP's "mindset" towards farmers. The AAP leaders and workers held protests at various places, including Jind, Yamunanagar, and Panchkula.
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi too hit out at Kangana, expecting her to apologise for the remarks and the BJP to express regrets over it.
"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," she said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
In the Himachal Assembly, as soon as the opposition BJP staged a walkout over the rejection of its adjournment motion on the law and order situation, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said the remarks of Ms. Kangana are insulting to the entire farm community of the country. After the BJP members returned to the House, he asked them to clarify their stand on the issue.
Members from both sides started raising slogans as Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said Kangana's remarks were personal and not the view of the party.
The BJP had on Monday (August 26, 2024) denounced the film actor for her disparaging remarks on the farmers' agitation, as it expressed disagreement with her views and made it clear that she is neither permitted nor authorised to comment on the party's policy matters.
Mr. Thakur said the BJP is with the party's high command and said according to the convention, discussions cannot be held on a person who is not present in the House. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu supported the resolution and said the BJP should have come forward to discuss the issue.
Supporting the resolution, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said the farmers are furious over the remarks of Kangana and the BJP should seriously consider its conduct. Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi said an FIR should be registered against the actor as her remarks can create a law and order situation.
Kuldeep Singh Rathore of the Congress said Kangana is habitual of making ridiculous remarks. Pacifying the agitated members, Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania said a resolution condemning the remarks of Kangana has been passed by the House and there is no need for further discussions.
Himachal Pradesh PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh and her mother Pratibha Singh, who is the state Congress president, hit out at Kangana, terming her remarks on the farmers' protest as "reckless and misinformed".
The Congress leaders, in two separate statements, condemned Ranaut's remarks and said they were a grave insult to the farmers. Ms. Kangana had defeated PWD Minister Vikramaditya in the Lok Sabha election from Mandi.
PWD Minister Vikramaditya, in a statement, said, "Her baseless allegations questioning the role of the USA and China in the farmer unrest are ludicrous, not grounded in reality, and showcase her intellectual bankruptcy... As a member of the treasury benches and an elected representative of the Mandi parliamentary segment, Kangana Ranaut should be restrained while speaking on such sensitive issues.
"It is noteworthy that the Union Government, particularly the Ministry of External Affairs, should respond to her claims, which undermine the nation's foreign policy," he said.
The Minister said such statements against a particular segment of society, namely farmers, are an insult to their struggles and sacrifices and added that the statement is especially unacceptable given that the "black laws" have been rolled back by the Prime Minister.
"We demand an apology from her for her insensitive and divisive remarks," he said.
Himachal Pradesh Congress president and former MP Pratibha Singh said even though the BJP has expressed disagreement with Kangana's remarks in one of its statements, the party's refusal to apologise to the farmers of the country for the "insulting statement exposes its double standards".
The Haryana unit of AAP held demonstrations at various places with state senior vice president Anurag Dhanda leading a protest in the Yamunanagar district. The protesters carrying placards raised slogans against the BJP government.
Haryana AAP president Sushil Gupta dubbed Ranaut's remarks "shameful". He alleged the BJP hated farmers because they forced them to roll back the "black" farm laws.
Kangana has made such statements on farmers earlier also, Gupta said, and alleged it has been the "mentality" of the BJP that those who abuse farmers are rewarded with posts. Her remarks indicate the "mindset" of the BJP towards farmers, he further alleged.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said Ranaut's comments were "deliberate" and would be used as a "shield" so that the top leadership of the BJP is not blamed for its imminent defeat in the Haryana Assembly polls.
"This is the BJP's script, which is being read out by an actress as dialogue on the instructions of a top director. When an ordinary politician understands that using abusive language about the farmers' movement in a farmers' state will harm their prospects, the BJP's Chanakya does not understand this?" Akhilesh Yadav, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, said in a post in Hindi on X.
"The real truth of this episode is that such a thing must have been said deliberately so that the statement of the actress can be cited as the reason for the defeat that has already been decided in Haryana and the top leadership is not blamed for it. This is not a statement but a 'word shield' to protect someone," he added.
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.
Published - August 28, 2024 11:31 am IST
