Ms. Ranaut arrived in Delhi without engaging with the press initially. However, she later took to social media, posting a video in which she passionately expressed concerns about the escalating issue of “terrorism in Punjab.”
Kulwinder Kaur, the security officer who reportedly slapped newly elected BJP Lok Sabha MP Kangana Ranaut at Chandigarh airport, mentioned that her actions were provoked by a past comment made by the actor regarding the farmers’ protest. Kaur stated, “She said that farmers are protesting there for ₹100. Will she go and join them? My mother was among those protesting when she made this statement…”
Ms. Kaur, hailing from a family of farmers, has been suspended and is now facing a police case for allegedly slapping Kangana Ranaut, the newly elected Lok Sabha MP from Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi constituency. Ms. Kaur mentioned that her reaction was triggered by what she perceived as Kangana Ranaut’s disrespect towards farmers.
Upon reaching Delhi, Kangana Ranaut passionately expressed concerns about the increasing prevalence of terrorism in Punjab.
The incident took place during the security check-in. The female guard waited for me to pass, then approached and struck me, hurling abusive language. When I inquired why she hit me, she responded, ‘I stand with the farmers.’ I am unharmed, but my worry is the escalation of terrorism in Punjab. How should we address this issue?” expressed Kangana Ranaut in her statement.
The mobile video, which quickly went viral, captured Ms. Ranaut being escorted to a check-in counter, where a heated argument ensued. Although the video does not show Ms. Ranaut being slapped.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini stated that an investigation is ongoing. He mentioned, “…action will be taken against the accused. It is regrettable that a security personnel is involved in this. Whatever occurred was inappropriate…”
Ms. Kaur, a Constable in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), was referring to a controversial and widely condemned remark made by Ms. Ranaut on X (formerly Twitter) in 2020 during the peak of a nationwide farmers’ protest against the three farm laws enacted by the government under contentious circumstances.
In a social media post, Ms. Ranaut had tweeted about an elderly woman seen at one of the protests, suggesting she was “available for ₹100.” Following public outrage, she was compelled to remove the tweet. Ms. Ranaut also grabbed headlines in February 2021 after international pop star Rihanna appeared to criticize the BJP government regarding the farmers’ protest, questioning, “Why aren’t we talking about this?”
In response, Ms. Ranaut stated, “No one is discussing it because they are not farmers; they are terrorists attempting to divide India, enabling China to seize our vulnerable nation and turn it into a Chinese colony similar to the USA… Sit down, you fool; we are not surrendering our nation like you dummies.”
Ms. Kangana later decided to delete that post as well.
The farmers’ protest that erupted in 2020/21 – and has continued since, potentially impacting the BJP’s electoral performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha election – garnered significant attention both within the country and internationally.
Ms. Ranaut has encountered multiple confrontations with the protesting farmers. In addition to the controversial tweets from 2020 and 2021, her convoy was obstructed by demonstrators while she was attempting to campaign in Chandigarh.
