After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dubbed her statement on the need to bring back the repealed farm laws as contrary to the party line, Mandi lawmaker Kangana Ranaut expressed “regret” over her statement and said, “I take my words back.”
This is the second time in two months that the BJP has had to distance itself from Ranaut’s statement pertaining to the farmers’ issue. In August, the party was quick to point out that the MP’s statement on the farmers’ agitation for repealing the laws was not the party’s position and she is not authorised to speak on policy issues. Referring to the year-long agitation, she had said that a “Bangladesh-like situation” could have erupted in India during the protests if strong measures had not been taken by the Union government.
Despite the party’s instruction to not speak out of turn, the actor turned politician, who represents Mandi Lok Sabha constituency in Himachal Pradesh, stoked a fresh controversy after she told media persons in the state that the three laws that were repealed in 2021 after a prolonged protest by the farmers should be brought back.
Following an uproar within the BJP and its allies and the Opposition’s criticism of the statement, which can harm the BJP’s prospects in poll-bound Haryana, the lawmaker issued a statement expressing regret. A section of farmers from Punjab and Haryana were at the forefront of the agitation against the laws and had demanded their rollback.
“The media asked me questions about the farm laws, and I suggested that we should request the PM to bring those back. When the laws were proposed, many of us had supported them…but expressing sympathy and sensitivity the PM repealed them…as party workers, it is our duty to honour his decision,” she said.
Even as several leaders including BJP ally, JDU’s KC Tyagi, sought action against her for the statement, Ranaut said, she must be mindful that her opinion must be aligned with the party line.
“I need to be mindful I am not an artist, but a BJP worker and my opinions should not be mine, but the party’s stand… I take my words back…If I have disappointed people, I express regret.”
The Opposition, however, was unrelenting and Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi demanded an apology from PM Narendra Modi.
“Who is deciding the government’s policy? A BJP MP or Prime Minister Modi? Even after the martyrdom of more than 700 farmers, especially the farmers of Haryana and Punjab, the BJP people are not satisfied. INDIA will not allow any conspiracy of BJP against our farmers to succeed – If any step is taken to harm the farmers, Modi ji will have to apologise again,” he said in a statement.
Late on Tuesday night, party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said, Ranaut is not authorised to make such a statement on behalf of the BJP, and it doesn’t depict the BJP’s view on the farm bills. “On the social media platforms, BJP MP Kangana Ranaut’s statement on the farm bills that were withdrawn by central govt, is going viral. I want to make it clear that this statement is a personal statement of hers. Kangana Ranaut is not authorised to make such a statement on behalf of BJP and it doesn’t depict BJP’s view on the farm bills. We disapprove of this statement,” he said in a statement.
BJP allies JDU and LJP also dubbed her statement as “personal opinion”.
JDU national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said, “After the party’s decision to distance itself from the statement, BJP MP Kangana Ranaut had no option but to apologise.”
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior party leader said the BJP leadership has sent a terse message to the MP to refrain from speaking on issues that can create trouble for the party. “As an MP she cannot have an individual opinion on policy issues…she was told this before as well. The party line must be followed, and statements must be made with sensitivity, she was told,” the senior leader said.
Referring to the impact that her statement can have on the October 5 polls in Haryana, the leader said, “Such statements have the potential to damage the party’s prospects…there is an election narrative decided by the leadership and taking a position contrary to that means giving the Opposition a handle to hurt the party and the government…”
This is not the first time that Ranaut has been in the crosshairs for her statement on farmers and the agitation that led to the recall of the three farm laws. In June she was slapped by a CISF personnel at the airport, who was miffed at the actor for casting aspersions on those who participated in the agitation.
