The CISF personnel who reportedly slapped Ranaut told her that the action was in response to her "disrespecting farmers".
Farmer organisations have voiced strong discontent over actor-turned-MP Kangana Ranaut’s recent comments about farmer protests. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Mandi has alleged that “rapes and murders” were committed during the farmer agitation to protest the now-withdrawn farm laws.
Farmer groups have called on both the Punjab government and the Centre to investigate why Ranaut is targeting the protesters with her remarks. They suspect a “conspiracy” behind her statements, possibly linked to promoting her forthcoming film.
Her party has reprimanded her and clarified that her remark does not represent the party’s views. Distancing itself from it, the BJP said, “The statement made by BJP MP Ms. Kangana Ranaut in the context of the farmers’ protest does not reflect the party’s stance. The Bharatiya Janata Party expresses its disagreement with her remarks.”
“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 statement said.
In a recent interview with a Hindi news platform, Ranaut suggested that the violence seen in Bangladesh could have occurred in India under a “government without a vision”.
“Look at farmer protests where people were killed and rapes were committed. When the pro-people farmer laws were repealed, people across the country were astonished. Even the farmers would not have imagined that the bills would be repealed but they (farmers) are sitting (on protests) now. It is a big plan: as in Bangladesh, foreign powers from China and the US are working for it,” the actor-politician said.
In 2020, during the anti-farm laws protests, Ranaut sparked a huge controversy by misidentifying a female farmer from Punjab and making derogatory remarks about her.
Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala wished “Get well soon, Kangana!” on X. In his post this morning, he further asked “why the BJP has such hatred for the country’s food providers?”
“The BJP has always spread lies, deceit, conspiracies, and oppression against our food providers. And once again, a BJP MP has made baseless accusations against our food providers. The question is: Has Kangana made these vile accusations against farmers according to the BJP’s electoral strategy? Were Kangana’s words her own, or was the script written by someone else? If not, then why are the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister of Haryana, and all BJP MPs and legislators silent on this issue?” he added.
Sarvan Singh Pandher, a leader of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, accused Ranaut of being a “habitual offender.” He also questioned whether her comments are scripted from Nagpur, the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), or if there is another motive behind her statements.
“We are not bothered about what she says but want to know if there is any wider conspiracy,” Pandher said.
Manjit Singh Dhaner, another farmer union leader, criticised Ranaut saying, “Kangana had earlier claimed that women in protests were coming for Rs 100. The state govt should register an FIR.”
In June, Ranaut had alleged that she was slapped by a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable at Chandigarh airport when she was about to board a flight to Delhi. The CISF personnel reportedly told Ranaut that the action was in response to her “disrespecting farmers”.
Senior Punjab BJP leader Harjit Garewal advised Ranaut to refrain from making inflammatory statements.
“It is not Kangana’s department to speak on farmers, Kangana’s statement is personal. PM Modi and 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,” Garewal told India Today.
As Haryana assembly elections are just weeks away, her remarks could further inflame farmers’ anger towards the BJP, potentially affecting the party’s electoral prospects in agriculturally significant regions.
Meanwhile, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and Sri Akal Takht Sahib have demanded a ban on Ranaut’s upcoming film, “Emergency”, in which she plays slain Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. She has also directed the film. Sri Akal Takht Sahib has warned the censor board against releasing the film.
Independent MP from Faridkot and son of Indira Gandhi’s assassin Beant Singh, Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, has also called for a ban on the film, alleging it portrays Sikhs unfairly and could incite hatred towards the community.
An Australia-based Sikh council has echoed these concerns, describing “Emergency” as propaganda that misrepresents historical events and disrespects Sikh martyrs. The council has warned that the film could stir unrest within the Sikh Punjabi community and among non-Hindutva supporters in Australia.
Scheduled for release on September 6, the film’s trailer, released on August 14, features Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a militant Sikh preacher. Sikh radical groups are particularly opposed to this depiction.
Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa argued, “If Sikhs are filmed as separatists or terrorists in this film, then it is a deep conspiracy. This film is a psychological attack to create hatred towards Sikhs among other communities. The government should ban this movie.”
