Get well soon, says Surjewala over Kangana’s comment on farmers’ protest

Chandigarh, Aug 26 (IANS) Under fire over her remarks that the ‘farmers’ protest could have led to a Bangladesh-like situation in India if not for strong measures taken by the Modi government’, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala on Monday asked BJP leader and Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut to “Get well soon.” 

Even BJP leaders in Punjab and Haryana have advised Kangana to refrain from making inflammatory comments as they fear this could further escalate farmers’ outrage against the party.

In a video shared on X, Mandi MP Ranaut alleged that during the farmers’ stir against the three farm laws, “bodies were seen hanging and rapes were taking place.”

Responding to her post, senior Congress leader Surjewala wrote on X, “After all, why do BJP people hate the country's food providers so much? The BJP has always lied, deceived, conspired and oppressed our farmers. And once again a BJP MP has made baseless allegations against our food providers. The question is that, has Kangana made this cheap allegation against the farmers as per the BJP's election strategy?”

The Congress leader who is campaigning in poll-bound Haryana that also saw year-long farmers’ protest against the three farm laws that have now been rolled back, asked, “Were these just Kangana's words or did someone else copy them? If not, then why are the Prime Minister of the country, the Chief Minister of Haryana and all the BJP MPs and MLAs silent on this issue?”

When Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was questioned by the media over the purported remark of the party’s MP against the farmers’ agitation, he refused to comment saying, “This was her personal opinion.”

The MP from Mandi blamed vested interests and “foreign powers” for the continuation of the protests even after the laws were rolled back.

Responding to her remark, Punjab BJP leader Harjit Grewal advised Ranaut to refrain from making inflammatory statements.

“It is not Kangana’s department to speak on farmers, Kangana’s statement is personal. PM Modi and the BJP are farmer-friendly. The Opposition parties are working against us and Kangana's statement is doing the same. She should not make such statements, on sensitive or religious issues, religious organisations,” he added.