Following the recent incident where newly elected MP and actor Kangana Ranaut was slapped by a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable at Chandigarh airport, veteran actor Shabana Azmi has expressed her views. She emphasized that security officials should refrain from taking the law into their own hands.
“I may not have a personal affection for Kangana Ranaut, but I cannot support the trend of applauding ‘the slap’. If security personnel begin to act outside the law, it puts all of us at risk,” Shabana Azmi stated in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
I have no love lost for #Kangana Ranaut. But I can’t find myself joining this chorus of celebrating “the slap”. If security personnel start taking law into their hands none of us can be safe .
— Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) June 7, 2024
Actor-politician Kangana Ranaut, who won the Lok Sabha election from Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi, was about to board a flight for Delhi on Thursday when the incident happened.
Mobile footage that quickly went viral showed Ms Ranaut being escorted to a check-in counter and, when she reaches there, a verbal spat breaks out. The video does not show Ms Ranaut being slapped.
In a video statement, Ms Ranaut later said she was concerned about rising terrorism in Punjab.
“I am safe. I am perfectly fine. The incident happened at the security check-in. The woman guard waited for me to cross. She then came from the side and hit me. She started throwing expletives. I asked why she hit me. She said ‘I support farmers’. I am safe, but my concern is terrorism is rising in Punjab. How do we handle that?” Ms Ranaut had said.
Kulwinder Kaur, the woman constable who slapped Ms Ranaut – said she slapped the actor for “disrespecting farmers”. “She (Kangana Ranaut) said the farmers are sitting there for ₹ 100. Will she go and sit there? My mother was sitting there and protesting when she gave this statement…”.
The female constable has been suspended, and an FIR has been filed.
In December 2020, Kangana Ranaut made a controversial comment on X, where she observed an elderly woman whom she claimed was “available for ₹ 100,” implying that she could be hired to participate in protests.
Then, in February 2021, in response to international pop sensation Rihanna’s support for the protests, Kangana Ranaut labelled the protesters as “terrorists” and accused them of attempting to divide India.
Following the repeal of the farm laws in December 2021, Kangana Ranaut’s car was stopped by protesters in Punjab’s Kiratpur Sahib, who demanded an apology for her remarks against farmers. She was allowed to proceed after speaking with some of the protesters.