BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who secured a Lok Sabha seat from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, was preparing to board a flight to Delhi when the incident occurred.
New
Delhi: Kangana Ranaut, a
newly elected MP and actor, was reportedly slapped by a Central Industrial
Security Force (CISF) constable at Chandigarh airport, allegedly due to
"disrespecting farmers." Ranaut, who won the Lok Sabha seat from
Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, was about to board a flight to Delhi when the
incident occurred. The constable involved has been identified as Kulwinder
Kaur.
The
constable allegedly slapped Ranaut, citing the actor-turned-MP's disrespect
towards farmers during the 2020-21 protests against farm laws, including
demands for a legal guarantee of minimum support price. The CISF Commandant is
looking into the matter, and Ranaut's aide has informed the local police.
After
arriving in Delhi, Ranaut avoided speaking to reporters. Earlier, she had
posted on Instagram, "On my way to parliament. Mandi ki sansad."
Later, in a
video statement on X, Ranaut assured she was safe but expressed concern about
rising terrorism in Punjab. She described the incident, saying, "The guard
waited for me, then hit me and hurled abuses, claiming to support farmers. My
concern is the growing terrorism in Punjab."
The CISF
constable was reportedly upset with Ranaut over her statement during the
farmers' protest, suggesting farmers were paid ₹100 to protest. The constable
mentioned her mother was among the protesters at that time.
During her
election campaign, Ranaut's convoy was blocked by farmers in Chandigarh en
route to Mandi.
In February
2021, international pop star Rihanna criticized the Indian government's
handling of the farmers' protest on X (formerly Twitter), to which Ranaut
responded harshly, calling the protesters terrorists. Ranaut later deleted the
post.
In November
2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the withdrawal of the three
contentious farm laws that sparked the prolonged protests. Farmers were
concerned these laws would eliminate the minimum support price and lead to the
corporatization of agriculture, putting small and marginal farmers at a
disadvantage.