This refers to the 2020-21 farmers’ protest against the farm laws and demands for a legal guarantee of minimum support price, the CISF Commandant is investigating the incident, and local police have been informed
Newly elected MP and actor Kangana Ranaut was reportedly slapped by a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable at Chandigarh airport, allegedly over comments deemed disrespectful to farmers. The incident occurred as Ranaut, who won the Lok Sabha election from Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi, was preparing to board a flight to Delhi.
The constable involved, identified as Kulwinder Kaur, has been suspended, and an FIR has been filed against her. According to sources, after slapping Ranaut, Kaur allegedly stated it was in response to the MP’s remarks about farmers. This refers to the 2020-21 farmers’ protest against the farm laws and demands for a legal guarantee of minimum support price. The CISF Commandant is investigating the incident, and local police have been informed.
Ranaut did not speak to reporters upon her arrival in Delhi. Earlier in the day, she had posted a photo on Instagram with the caption, “On my way to parliament. Mandi ki sansad.”
In a video statement on X later in the evening, Ranaut confirmed her safety but expressed concern about rising terrorism in Punjab. “I am safe. I am perfectly fine. The incident happened at the security check-in. The woman guard waited for me to cross. She then came from the side and hit me. She started throwing expletives. I asked why she hit me. She said ‘I support farmers’. I am safe, but my concern is terrorism is rising in Punjab. How do we handle that?” Ranaut said.
The constable, Kaur, explained her actions were motivated by Ranaut’s “Rs 100” comment during the farmers’ protest. “She had given a statement that the farmers are sitting there for ₹100. Will she go and sit there? My mother was sitting there and protesting when she gave this statement,” Kaur said.
In December 2020, Ranaut had posted the “Rs 100” comment on X, referring to an elderly woman she claimed could be hired to attend protests. The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee’s chief, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, demanded an unconditional apology from Ranaut within a week. The actor later deleted the post. During her election campaign, farmers had blocked Ranaut’s convoy in Chandigarh as she was heading towards Mandi.
In February 2021, international pop star Rihanna had criticized the Indian government over the farmers’ protest, prompting Ranaut to respond, “No one is talking about it because they are not farmers, they are terrorists who are trying to divide India, so that China can take over our vulnerable broken nation and make it a Chinese colony much like the USA… Sit down you fool, we are not selling our nation like you dummies.” Ranaut subsequently deleted this post as well.
In November 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the withdrawal of the three farm laws at the center of the protests. Farmers had expressed fears that the laws would eliminate minimum support prices and lead to the corporatization of agriculture, making small landholders vulnerable to unfair contracts.
