Wednesday, 25 September 2024
Wednesday, 25 September 2024
A change of script proved problematic for actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut as she was forced to retract her comments on the now repealed farm laws on Wednesday.
The BJP MP on Wednesday withdrew her remarks that called for bringing back the three farm laws that were repealed in 2021 and said those were her opinion and did not represent the party’s stand. In a post on X, Ranaut wrote, “My views on Farmers Laws are personal and they don’t represent the party’s stand on those Bills.”
In a 68-second clip she said, “I must remember that now I am not only an artiste but also a member of the BJP and my opinion should not be personal but the stand of the party,” she said. “I regret if I left anybody disappointed with my words and opinions. I take my words back.”
The centre repealed three laws — Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act — in November 2021. Before this, month long protests by farmers at the Haryana-Delhi border, demanding that the centre repeals these three laws, brought the National Capital Region almost to a standstill.
Ranaut’s remark had come when political parties are preparing for the assembly polls in Haryana due to be held on October 5.
The Congress intensified its attack on Wednesday as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi clarify whether he opposes the comments or is “up to some mischief.”
In a post in Hindi on X along with his video, Gandhi said, “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 apologize again,” the Congress leader said.
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday slammed the BJP over its MP Kangana Ranaut's statement on the repealed three farm laws, alleging the party wanted to bring them back.
Kejriwal said during the country's "biggest farmers' agitation" that took place two years ago 750 farmers died and the Narendra Modi government was forced to withdraw the farm laws.
"But it has again made a plan to bring those farm laws back. Its senior leader Kangana Ranaut has made a statement that three laws should be brought back," the former Delhi chief minister said.
The Congress Party president, Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Even after the martyrdom of 750 farmers, the anti-farmer BJP and Modi government did not realize their grave crime! There is talk of re-implementation of the three black anti-farmer laws. The Congress Party strongly opposes this.” The 62 crore farmers will not forget that the Modi government crushed farmers under a vehicle, used barbed wire, teargas from drones, nails and guns against them.
Asked about Ranaut’s remarks, Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil said at a press conference in New Delhi, “It is my demand that the BJP should expel her(Ranaut) and if it does not do that, the loud and clear message is that Modi and the BJP are insulting the memory of the martyred farmers, they are insulting farmers and he wants to benefit his friends to bring back the three farm laws,”.
The Himachal Pradesh BJP has also distanced itself from Ranaut’s statement, per a report by the Press Trust of India.
Earlier, on Tuesday, the Congress shared a video on X in which Kangana said in Hindi, “Farm laws that have been repealed should be brought back. I think this may get controversial. The laws in farmers’ interest be brought back. Farmers should themselves demand this (to bring farm laws back) so that there is no hindrance to their prosperity.
In the purported video, Kangana had said farmers were protesting in Delhi because they were paid Rs 100 or Rs 200.
Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera also shared the video on X and said it was the BJP’s “real thinking”. “How many times will you deceive the farmers, you two-faced people?” Khera had said in a post in Hindi on Tuesday.
Punjab’s farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher sought action against BJP MP Kangana Ranaut on Wednesday for her purported remarks on three farm laws that were repealed in 2021.
Pandher, who leads the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, said, “If the BJP-led Centre has already repealed those laws and if its elected MP makes a statement on those laws, then action should be taken against her. Can anybody speak on policy matters and then say it was his or her personal view?”
Senior Congress leader and leader of opposition in Punjab, Partap Singh Bajwa has lashed out at the BJP-led Centre, claiming that it is using Ranaut “as a mouthpiece to advocate the restoration of the contentious farm laws”.
“The BJP is using Ranaut as a proxy to further its anti-farmer agenda. If the BJP government at the Centre does not stand behind the statements made by its Mandi MP, it must take decisive action against her,” Bajwa said on Tuesday.
BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia distanced the party from Ranaut’s comments, while rejecting her support for the laws. Bhatia said the BJP has not authorised Ranaut for making any such statement and nor does her stand reflect the party’s views.
