Mandi flood visit: Congress blasts Kangana Ranaut for ‘insensitive’ remarks

Kangana in Mandi

BJP MP Kangana Ranaut is facing sharp criticism from the Congress for what the party described as an “insensitive” response during her visit to flood-ravaged areas in her Mandi constituency in Himachal Pradesh. Ranaut, elected to the Lok Sabha in 2024 from Mandi, has been under the spotlight since her entry into active politics.

The latest row was triggered by a video shared by the Congress on X (formerly Twitter), in which Ranaut, while addressing disaster relief efforts, is heard saying: “Whether it's disaster relief or the disaster itself — I don’t have any official cabinet. I have my two brothers who are always with me. That’s my cabinet. So, it's just these two.”

This statement drew flak from the Congress, which accused the newly elected MP of treating the grim situation lightly. Posting the video, the Congress wrote: “In Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, a cloudburst has caused widespread devastation. People are distressed, their lives completely upended. Mandi's MP Kangana arrived there after several days and, laughing, said, 'What can I do, I don’t have a cabinet position.' Show some compassion, Kangana ji.”

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate also took aim at the actor-turned-politician, saying, “Even BJP's Jairam Thakur is left speechless in the face of Kangana Ji's insensitivity.”She further said, “A cloudburst in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, has caused massive destruction. Kangana Ji, who is the MP from there, visited the area for the first time after the tragedy. People have lost everything — and she is in the mood for sarcasm, jokes, and laughter?”

Ranaut, who toured the affected areas on Sunday, later expressed grief over the devastation. “We can only console the families who have lost their kin, and now it is time to provide relief,” she said.

According to a TOI report, the monsoon has wreaked havoc across Himachal Pradesh since June 20, with the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) confirming that 78 lives have been lost so far, 50 due to rain-related incidents and 28 in road accidents. In Mandi district alone, over 14 people have died and at least 31 are still missing following a series of cloudbursts and landslides.

Infrastructure across the state has also taken a severe hit. According to official data, 269 roads remain blocked, 278 water schemes are disrupted and 285 power transformers have been damaged. The estimated financial loss to both public and private property has crossed Rs 57 crore, as per TOI.