Chandigarh: Kulwinder Kaur, the security officer who allegedly slapped the new BJP Lok Sabha MP Kangana Ranaut at Chandigarh airport, mentioned that she was provoked by an old comment made by the actor regarding the farmers’ protest. “She made a statement… that farmers are sitting there for ₹ 100. Will she go and sit there? My mother was sitting there and protesting when she made this statement…”
Ms Kaur, who reportedly hails from a family of farmers, has been suspended and is now facing a police case. She stated that she reacted to Kangana Ranaut – who emerged victorious in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi seat and was en route to Delhi – for “disrespecting farmers”.
Upon arriving in Delhi, Ms Ranaut expressed her anger about “terrorism on the rise in Punjab”.
“The incident occurred at the security check-in. The female guard waited for me to pass. She then approached and struck me… started hurling abuses. I questioned (her) why she hit me. She replied, ‘I support farmers’. I am unharmed… but my worry is terrorism escalating in Punjab. How do we address that?” she conveyed in her statement.
A mobile video that swiftly circulated online depicted Ms Ranaut being escorted to a check-in counter and, upon reaching it, a verbal altercation ensued. The video did not capture Ms Ranaut being slapped.
An investigation is currently underway, as stated by Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. He emphasized that appropriate action will be taken against the accused. It is disheartening to see someone involved in security being implicated in such a matter. The incident that occurred was undoubtedly wrong and regrettable.
Constable Ms Kaur, who serves in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), referred to a distasteful comment made by Ms Ranaut on X (formerly known as Twitter) in 2020. This comment was made during a nationwide protest by farmers against three controversial farm laws enacted by the central government.
In her social media post, Ms Ranaut made a derogatory remark about an elderly woman seen at one of the protests, suggesting that she could be hired for a mere ₹100. However, due to public outrage, Ms Ranaut was compelled to delete the tweet.
Ms Ranaut attracted further attention in February 2021 when international pop star Rihanna appeared to criticize the BJP government’s handling of the farmers’ protest. In response, Ms Ranaut claimed that those involved in the protest were not farmers but terrorists aiming to divide India. She also alleged that their intention was to allow China to take control of our vulnerable nation and turn it into a Chinese colony, similar to the USA. Ms Ranaut later deleted this post as well.
The farmers’ protest, which began in 2020 and has continued since then, has garnered significant attention both within the country and internationally. It has the potential to impact the BJP’s performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Ms Ranaut has had multiple confrontations with the protesting farmers. In addition to her controversial tweets in 2020 and 2021, her convoy was obstructed by agitators while she was campaigning in Chandigarh.