BJP MP Kangana Ranaut.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: The BJP on Monday expressed disagreement with its MP Kangana Ranaut’s controversial remarks on the farmers' protest and said she has been directed to not make such remarks in future.
Wary of the political fallout of her recent comments on farmer’s agitation, the BJP said that actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut is neither permitted nor allowed to make statements on the party’s behalf. The party's media department said that Ranaut's comments do not reflect the opinion of the party
BJP's Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut stoked controversy by saying that the farmers' protests saw rapes and the investment of foreign money.
“The statement given by BJP MP Ms Kangana Ranaut in the context of the farmers' movement is not the opinion of the party. Bharatiya Janata Party disagrees with the statement of Ms. Kangana Ranaut. On behalf of the party, Ms. Kangana Ranaut is neither permitted nor allowed to make statements. On behalf of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Ms. Kangana Ranaut has been instructed not to make any such statements in future. BJP statement,” the party’s statement read.
Ranaut, known to wade into controversies in the past owing to her comments, said in a video that the farmers’ protest could have led to “Bangladesh-like anarchy” in India. “Bangladesh-like anarchy could have happened in India in the name of farmers’ protest. Outside forces are planning to destroy us with the help of insiders. If it hadn’t been the foresight of our leadership they would have succeeded,” Ranaut said.
Her comments drew sharp responses from the Congress as well as several farmers groups. Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala, in a post on X, said the comments should lead to a response from the BJP. “... once again a BJP MP has made baseless allegations against our food providers. The question i...Has Kangana made this cheap allegation on the farmer as per BJP’s election strategy? If not, then why are the Prime Minister of the country, the Chief Minister of Haryana and all the BJP MPs and MLAs silent on this issue,” he questioned.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, too, condemned her comments. “It is extremely painful that this MP, who is a habitual abuser of farmers, has now taken the extreme step of calling Indian farmers murderers, rapists, conspirators, and anti-national. It is not surprising that this MP is making such utterances because it has been the long-standing policy of BJP to insult, denigrate and discredit the historic anti-corporate farmers’ movement,” it said in a statement, demanding that Ranaut immediately issues an unconditional apology to the farmers.