Kangana Ranaut likens farmers’ stir to Bangladesh unrest, irks Punjab BJP leader

BJP leader and Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut courted controversy by suggesting.

That the farmers’ protest could have led to a Bangladesh-like situation in India if not for strong measures taken by the Modi government.

In a video shared on X, Ranaut alleged that during the farmers’ stir against the three farm laws, “bodies were seen hanging and rapes were taking place.”

The actor-politician blamed vested interests and “foreign powers” for the continuation of the protests even after the laws were rolled back.

“What happened in Bangladesh, it could have easily happened here tooâ€æ There is a conspiracy by foreign powers and these filmy people thrive on it. They don’t care if the country goes to the dogs,” she said.

Her remarks have drawn criticism from within her own party. Senior Punjab BJP leader Harjit Garewal advised Ranaut to refrain from making inflammatory statements.

“It is not Kangana’s department to speak on farmers, Kangana’s statement is personal. PM Modi and BJP are farmer friendly. The opposition parties are working against us and Kangana’s statement is doing the same. She should not make such statements, on sensitive or religious issues, religious organisations,” Garewal told India Today.

Ranaut’s comments come at an awkward time for the BJP, with assembly elections in Haryana just weeks away. Her remarks could further inflame farmers’ outrage against the BJP, potentially impacting the party’s poll prospects in agri-centric areas.

This is not the first time Ranaut has faced backlash for her comments on farmers. In 2020, in the midst of the anti-farm laws protest, she stoked a huge row after misidentifying a woman farmer from Punjab and making derogatory remarks about her.

Shortly after being elected to Parliament, Ranaut was also involved in an altercation with a CISF personnel at Chandigarh airport, who allegedly slapped her over her anti-farmer comments.