BJP admonishes Kangana for comments on farmers’ agitation
Congress, Samyukt Kisan Morcha demand explanation from government
The BJP on Monday (August 26, 2024) distanced itself from the controversial remarks on the farmers’ agitation made by its MP and actor Kangana Ranaut, declaring that she was not authorised to make such statements on behalf of the party.
At a recent event, Ms. Ranaut had alleged that the farmers’ agitation against the now-scrapped three farm legislations were a build-up to a “Bangladesh-type situation in India”, and that “dead bodies were hanging and rapes were taking place” at the site of the protests.
In a statement released by the BJP, it said: “The statement made by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut in the context of the farmers’ movement is not the opinion of the party. Bharatiya Janata Party expresses disagreement with the statement made by Kangana Ranaut. On behalf of the party, Kangana Ranaut is neither permitted nor authorised to make statements on party policy issues.”
Ms. Ranaut “has been directed not to make any such statements in future. Bharatiya Janata Party is committed to following the principles of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’, and social harmony,” the party said.
The BJP’s strong admonition came following a backlash from the Opposition and farmers’ groups over her remarks, and in the backdrop of the Assembly election in Haryana.
Congress’s social media head Supriya Shrinate lashed out at Ms. Ranaut for referring to farmers as “rapists and murderers”.
“The government or Prime Minister can’t keep quiet on this. They have to clarify if this is Kangana Ranaut’s stand or do they also believe that farmers are rapists and murderers. You will get the reply very soon in Haryana [election],”Ms. Shrinate said. Referring to Ms. Ranaut’s claim that preparations were on for a Bangladesh-type ouster, with China and the U.S. behind the farmers’ agitation, Ms. Shrinate added that “the government should answer if we are so weak that outside forces can interfere”.
Painful, says SKM
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, the umbrella organisation of about 400 farmers’ outfits, said it was “extremely painful but not surprising” that Ms. Ranaut had 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 the BJP to insult, denigrate and discredit the historic anti-corporate farmers’ movement led by SKM at the borders of Delhi,” the SKM said in a statement.
It added that “not a single person was killed in any violence caused by the farmers’ movement during the entire period of farmers’ struggle around the capital city but 736 farmers sacrificed their lives, including five of them who were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri.”
The SKM demanded that that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself apologise to the farmers of India for the “reprehensible and untruthful” comments made by an MP of his party. The Prime Minister should stand with the ‘annadatas’ of India, and should not allow his party and its members to misbehave with those who provide food security to the nation. “It is not only the PM’s constitutional duty, but people of India expect no less from him,” it said.
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