Kangana's remarks on farmers echo in Himachal Assembly

The onset of the monsoon session of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Tuesday witnessed heated exchanges between the treasury benches and the main opposition BJP over the purported remarks of BJP MP from Mandi, Kangana Ranaut, about the farmers' agitation and deteriorating law and order in the state. 

Immediately after the obituary references, Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur demanded a discussion on the issue of law and order through an adjournment motion under rule 67.

Citing incidents, he quoted a clash between two groups in Baddi town on Monday in which one died on the spot and two were critically injured. One of them is battling for life at the PGI Chandigarh.

He also mentioned an incident in Palampur where a woman was assaulted. He accused the Congress government led by Suhvinder Singh Sukhu of mismanagement, saying several Indian Police Service (IPS) officers were being kept in reserve rather than deployed in the field to maintain public safety.

Amid the pandemonium, the Opposition members staged a walkout after raising slogans.

Countering the motion, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan moved a resolution condemning the remarks by Kangana.

"The remarks by Kangana are an insult to the farmers of the entire country. The Opposition has left the House but we wanted to know the stand of the BJP on the issue," he said.

"It was unfortunate to call farmers rapists and terrorists," Chauhan said.

"The House must hold a debate on this and condemn these kind of objectionable remarks against farmers," he said.

He sought the stand of the BJP on Kangana's remarks after the Opposition returned to the House post the walkout.

Leader of Opposition Thakur said, "Our party has already condemned the issue so it should not be raised in the House. It should not be politicised."

As BJP MLAs objected to the issue, the ruling party legislators too were on their feet with Speaker Kuldeep Pathania trying to pacify both sides.

The Speaker said the House is condemning the objectionable remarks by the Mandi MP.

"They (opposition) are also part of the BJP leadership so they agree with their stand," he said.

Supporting the resolution, first-time legislator Kuldeep Rathore said 700 farmers had lost their lives in the agitation. "The reaction of the Opposition shows they too support Kangana’s remarks. The entire state is watching the irresponsible conduct of the opposition," he added.

This angered the opposition members, after which they staged a walkout raising slogans.

Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi sought an FIR against Kangana for her "inflammatory" comments.

Public Works Department Minister Vikramaditya Singh told the media the statement made by the MP of Mandi "shows her intellectual bankruptcy".

The BJP's central leadership has distanced itself from Kangana's remarks about the farmers' agitation and asked her to refrain from making such statements in the future.

Kangana stoked a controversy when she said that the farmers' protest could have led to a Bangladesh-like situation in the country had the top leadership not acted strongly.