E-Paper
'I tried, was advised…': Kangana blames BJP ex-CM for absence from Himachal's Mandi amid flood tragedy
In a post on X, a day after senior leader Jairam Thakur criticised her, she claimed it was Thakur who had advised her against a visit
Kangana Ranaut has sought to blame fellow BJP leader and former chief minister Jairam Thakur for her absence from her Lok Sabha constituency Mandi in Himachal Pradesh even when the region is ravaged by cloudbursts and flashfloods.
In a post on X, a day after Jairam Thakur criticised her, she claimed it was Thakur who had advised her against a visit.
“I tried reaching flood-affected areas in Seraj and other areas in Mandi, but was advised by respected leader of opposition Shri @jairamthakurbjp ji to wait until the connectivity to the affected areas are restored. Red alert is issued by Mandi DC today as well. Awaiting authorities’ approval on the same, will be there soonest possible. Thanks,” her post said.
The actor-turned-politician has been noticeably absent from Mandi, which has seen at least 14 deaths over the past week, HT has reported.
Thakur, who is leader of opposition in the Himachal assembly, is the MLA from Seraj, the area that faced much of the monsoon fury in Mandi district. He had campaigned extensively for Ranaut in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
On Thursday, asked about Ranaut's absence, he had said, “I don’t know why she (Kangana) did this. We are here, we are here to live and die with the people of Mandi. I do not want to comment on those who are not concerned about it.”
The Congress shared Thakur’s video on X to take a dig, “MP Kangana Ranaut is not concerned about the people of Mandi. This is not being said by us, but by former chief minister of Himachal Pradesh and BJP leader Jairam Thakur."
Official data so far says 69 people have died and 110 have been injured since the onset of the monsoon on June 20. The state witnessed 22 landslides of moderate intensity on July 3 alone.
