After actor-politician Kangana Ranaut alleged that "rapes" took place during the farmers' protest, former Punjab MP Simranjit Singh Mann’s remarks stirred a controversy on Thursday.
"You can ask her (Kangana Ranaut) how rape happens so that people can be explained how rape happens. She has a lot of experience," the former Sangrur MP said in response to a journalist’s question about her statement.
Ranaut responded to Mann's derogatory remarks against her over rape.
"It seems this country will never stop trivialising rape. Today, this senior politician compared getting raped to riding a bicycle. No wonder rapes and violence against women for fun are so deeply rooted in the psyche of this patriarchal nation that it is casually used to tease or mock a woman, even if she is a high-profile filmmaker or politician," said Ranaut on social media.
Earlier, the BJP MP suggested that the farmers' protests could have led to a Bangladesh-like situation if strong measures had not been taken by the government. In a video posted on X, Ranaut alleged that “bodies were seen hanging and rapes were taking place” during the 2020-21 farmers protest against the now-repealed three farm laws. "What happened in Bangladesh, it could have easily happened here too. There is a conspiracy by foreign powers and these filmy people thrive on it. They don’t care if the country goes to the dogs," she stated on X.
These protests only ended after Prime Minister Modi announced the withdrawal of the laws.
The BJP swiftly distanced itself from her comments against the farmers’ protests, and asked her not to speak out of turn. “I was reprimanded by the party leadership, and that's fine with me. I do not think I am the final voice of the party. I am not that crazy or stupid to believe that,” Ranaut told India Today.
She was also summoned by party president and Union Health Minister J P Nadda to his residence in Delhi on Thursday morning. The BJP's public rebuke comes ahead of the election in Haryana, a state deeply impacted by the farmers' protest. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP came down from 10 seats to just five in Haryana. Meanwhile, the Congress increased its vote share from 28 per cent to 43 per cent in the state.
Ranaut said she would be more careful with her words and align more closely with the party's policies. "I am looking forward to being more careful with my words and aligning to the party's policies. Because for the BJP, hum rahe ya na rahe, Bharat rehna chahiye (whether we are there or not, India should remain)," she told Hindustan Times.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann slammed Ranaut for her controversial remarks concerning the farmers' protests. Mann said Ranaut was elected to address issues in her parliamentary constituency of Mandi, not to make “absurd” and “baseless” statements.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said farmers are food producers for the country and no one has a right to insult them by making such statements. In Haryana, Aam Aadmi Party workers staged protests against Ranaut.
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