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'Not upset, but Kangana no longer…': Chirag Paswan on BJP MP's farm laws remarks
Kangana Ranaut's remarks put the ruling BJP in a tight spot once again, more so as it is in the middle of an intense campaign to retain power in Haryana.
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader and Union minister Chirag Paswan on Thursday said that Kangana Ranaut, who has sparked a row with her remarks on reviving the controversial farm laws repealed in 2021, is no longer just an artist and it is her responsibility to prioritise the party’s position over personal views.
“I am not upset with Kangana, but she is no longer just an artist. She is now a member of a political party,” Paswan told reporters on Thursday.
He stressed that when someone joins a political party, it becomes their responsibility to prioritise the party’s position over personal views.
“I accept the fact that you might have your own personal opinion but when you are part of a political party, it becomes your responsibility to put forward the topics of that party,” the minister said.
Kangana Ranaut and Chirag Paswan, now members of Lok Sabha, starred together in the 2011 movie Mile Na Mile Hum.
“She is new to politics and taking time to understand things, but she is intelligent enough and she will understand these things soon,” Paswan added.
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What Kangana Ranaut said on farm laws
Kangana Ranaut, a BJP MP from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, found herself at the centre of the controversy after urging the government to reintroduce the three contentious farm laws during an event in Mandi earlier this week.
"Farmers are a pillar of strength in India's progress," she had said, while expressing her belief that the laws would benefit the agricultural sector, despite protests that led to their repeal in 2021.
The three farm laws had triggered a year-long protest, particularly in Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh, leading to their eventual withdrawal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. Ranaut’s comments have come at a sensitive time for the BJP, which is heavily focused on retaining power in Haryana, where the farmers' protests were particularly intense.
The BJP quickly distanced itself from Ranaut’s remarks, with party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia clarifying that she was not authorised to make any such statement and nor does her stand reflect the party's views.
BJP national spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said Ranaut's "consistent, baseless and illogical rant" against farmers and Sikh community has a "damaging impact" on all the good work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the welfare of "Punjab, punjabi and punjabiyat".
Himachal Pradesh BJP leaders also sought to distance themselves from the actor-politician’s remarks.
Ranaut, facing backlash from opposition parties and even within her own ranks, backtracked by stating on social media that her views were personal and did not represent the BJP’s official stance.
“My views on Farmers Laws are personal and they don’t represent the party’s stand on those Bills,” she wrote in a post on X.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Modi of testing the waters by allowing Ranaut to make the statement.
“Those associated with the BJP keep testing ideas. They ask someone to voice an idea among people and then gauge the reaction. This is what has happened here. One of their MPs has talked about reviving the three black farm laws. Modiji, you must clarify whether you are against this or you are again up to some mischief,” Gandhi said in a video message.
