Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut has been facing backlash after she suggested the reintroduction of the three farm reform laws, which were repealed following widespread farmer protests. After her remarks, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) distanced themselves and Kangana also drew criticism from within the party, prompting her to issue a public apology and retract her statement.
Issuing a quick apology, Ranaut said, “I take my words back.”
On Tuesday, the BJP distanced itself from her remarks, clarifying that she was not speaking on behalf of the party. Gaurav Bhatia, the BJP spokesperson, released a statement in which he emphasized that Ranaut’s comments were her personal opinion and did not reflect the party’s stance on the farm bills.
#WATCH | BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia says, “A statement made by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut is circulating on social media. The statement pertains to the 3 farm laws that were earlier revoked by the BJP Govt. Thus, I wish to make it very clear that the statement reflects the personal… pic.twitter.com/0Xx0xYhTaZ
— ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2024
Facing criticism, Ranaut apologized saying, “My remark has disappointed several people.” She acknowledged that her role as a politician requires her to align her views with the party’s policies, rather than express personal opinions.
She further said, “If I have disappointed anyone with my views and words, I am sorry for that. I take my words back.”
Do listen to this, I stand with my party regarding Farmers Law. Jai Hind 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/wMcc88nlK2
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 25, 2024
Earlier in the day, Ranaut took to social media platform X, clarifying, “Absolutely, my views on Farmers Laws are personal, and they don’t represent the party’s stand on those Bills. Thanks.”
The controversy began after Ranaut’s interview in which she suggested, “I know this statement could be controversial, but the three farm laws should be brought back. The farmers should themselves demand it.” She argued that the laws were beneficial to the agricultural sector but were repealed due to protests in some parts of the country.
This is not the first time Ranaut’s comments have stirred tension within the BJP. Just last month, her remarks about the farmer protests, where she drew alarming comparisons to a “Bangladesh-like situation in India,” led to a similar distancing by the party. Her claims about alleged violence and atrocities at the protest sites were met with criticism from the BJP.
