India News | Himachal Minister, State Congress Chief Condemn Kangana Ranaut's Remarks on Farmers Protest
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh and her mother Pratibha Singh, who is the Congress president in the state, hit out at BJP MP from Mandi, Kangana Ranaut, terming her remarks on the farmers' protest as "reckless and misinformed".
Shimla, Aug 27 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh and her mother Pratibha Singh, who is the Congress president in the state, hit out at BJP MP from Mandi, Kangana Ranaut, 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.
Ranaut stoked a controversy by suggesting that the farmers' protests could have led to a Bangladesh-like situation in the country if the top leadership was not strong enough.
In a video clip of her interview with Dainik Bhaskar, Ranaut alleged that “bodies were hanging and rapes were taking place” during the farmers' protest against the now-repealed three farm laws. She reposted the video shared by another handle using her official account on X.
The BJP distanced itself from the remarks and said Ranaut is neither permitted nor authorised to make statements on the party's policy issues, and has been directed to not make such remarks in future.
PWD minister Vikramaditya Singh, in a statement, said: "Her baseless allegations questioning the role of 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 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," Singh said.
Such statements against a particular segment of society, namely farmers, are an insult to their struggles and sacrifices, he said.
The minister said that the statement was especially unacceptable given that the "black laws" have been rolled back by the prime minister, Singh said.
"We demand an apology from her for her insensitive and divisive remarks," he said.
Himachal Pradesh Congress president and former MP Pratibha Singh said that even though the BJP has expressed disagreement with Ranaut's remarks in one of its statements, the BJP's refusal to apologise to the farmers of the country for the "insulting statement exposes its double standards".
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)