New Delhi: Newly elected Member of Parliament (MP) and actor Kangana Ranaut was allegedly slapped by a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable at Chandigarh airport. The incident occurred as Ms. Ranaut was about to board a flight for Delhi.
The constable involved, identified as Kulwinder Kaur, has been suspended, and an FIR has been filed against her. The alleged reason for the slap was Ms. Ranaut's "disrespecting farmers."
Mobile footage captured the incident, showing Ms. Ranaut being escorted by security officers toward the security check-in area. She was seen engaging with some CISF officers. The CISF Commandant is investigating the matter, and one of Ms. Ranaut's aides has also informed local police.
After landing in Delhi, Ms. Ranaut did not speak to reporters. Earlier in the day, she had posted a photo on Instagram captioned, "On my way to parliament. Mandi ki sansad." In a later video statement on X, Ms. Ranaut expressed her safety but raised concerns about rising terrorism in Punjab.
"I am safe. The incident happened at the security check-in. The woman guard waited for me to cross, then hit me and started using expletives. When I asked why she hit me, she said, 'I support farmers.' While I am safe, my concern is the increasing terrorism in Punjab. How do we address this?" Ms. Ranaut said.
The CISF constable reportedly took offense at Ms. Ranaut's "Rs 100" statement during the farmers' protest. In December 2020, Ms. Ranaut had posted the comment on X, referring to an elderly woman who she claimed was "available for Rs 100," implying that she could be hired to attend protests.
Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Chief of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, demanded an "unconditional apology" from Ms. Ranaut within a week. The actor later deleted the controversial post.
During the election campaign, farmers had blocked Ms. Ranaut's convoy in Chandigarh while she was en route to Mandi. In February 2021, international pop star Rihanna had tweeted about the farmers' protest, questioning why it wasn't receiving more attention. Ms. Ranaut responded, calling the protesters "terrorists" attempting to divide India for China's benefit.
In November 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the withdrawal of the three farm laws that had sparked fierce protests by farmers. Concerns included the potential elimination of minimum support price (MSP) and the fear of corporatization of agriculture, where large companies could exploit small and marginal landholders through disadvantageous contracts.
