Actress-Newly Elected MP Kangana Ranaut Allegedly Slapped At Chandigarh Airport

Newly elected Mandi Member of Parliament and actress Kangana Ranaut hit the headlines today evening after two videos emerged about an alleged incident of slapping at Chandigarh airport. Kulwinder Kaur, a security officer, allegedly slapped the Bollywood actress who defeated Congress’ Vikramaditya Singh in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the airport, citing an old remark by the latter about the farmers’ protest as her trigger. Kaur, who reportedly comes from a family of farmers, has been suspended and faces a police case, according to reports. She claimed her actions were in response to Ms Ranaut’s disrespectful comments towards farmers, particularly one where Ranaut suggested that farmers were protesting for merely ₹100.

Kangana Ranaut, who was en route to Delhi, where the huddles for government formation is happening currently, expressed her outrage after the incident in a video posted on social media, labelling it as a sign of “terrorism rising in Punjab.” She described the incident, stating, “The woman guard waited for me to cross security check-in. She then hit me and started using expletives. When I asked why she hit me, she said, ‘I support farmers.’ I am safe, but my concern is terrorism is rising in Punjab. How do we handle that?”

Another video of the incident quickly went viral, showing Ms Ranaut being escorted to a check-in counter where a verbal altercation occurred. However, the video does not show the moment the Manikarnika actress was allegedly slapped.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini confirmed that an inquiry is underway and assured that action would be taken against the accused. He expressed his dismay, stating, “It is sad a person involved in security is involved in this. Whatever happened was wrong.”

Kaur, a constable in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), referred to a controversial remark Ms Ranaut made on social media in 2020 during the height of the nationwide farmers’ protest against three farm laws passed by the central government. In a tweet, Ms Ranaut had derogatorily referred to an elderly woman protester as being “available for ₹100,” a comment that drew widespread criticism and was later deleted.

Ms Ranaut has had several clashes with the protesting farmers. In February 2021, she made headlines by responding to international pop star Rihanna’s criticism of the BJP government over the farmers’ protest. Ms Ranaut’s inflammatory response, accusing the protestors of being terrorists, was also later deleted.

The farmers’ protest of 2020/21 has continued to make waves, potentially impacting the BJP’s performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Ranaut, known for her controversial statements, has faced significant backlash from the farming community, including having her convoy blocked by agitators while campaigning in Chandigarh.