Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut has once again stirred controversy after she suggested that the three farm reform laws, which were scrapped following farmers' protests, should be brought back. As her comments drew sharp criticism from the BJP, the Mandi Lok Sabha MP said her remarks were personal and had nothing to do with the party's stance.
On Tuesday, the BJP distanced itself from her remarks and stated that Kangana Ranaut is “not authorised” to make such remarks on the party's behalf.
In a video message, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia stated that the comments are a "personal statement" of Ranaut and don't represent the party's stand on the farm bills.
Ranaut took to social media platform X to emphasise the personal nature of her views. She wrote, "Absolutely, my views on Farmers Laws are personal, and they don’t represent' party’s stand on those Bills. Thanks."
The controversy began earlier on Tuesday when, in an interview with the media, Ranaut remarked, "I know this statement could be controversial, but the three farm laws should be brought back. The farmers should themselves demand it."
She argued that the three laws were beneficial for the farmers but were repealed by the Centre in the wake of the protests by farmer groups in some states.
"Farmers are a pillar of strength in the nation's development. I want to appeal to them to demand the laws back for their own good," she said.
Notably, this isn't the first time the BJP has rebuked remarks by the Lok Sabha MP. Last month, the party distanced itself from Kangana Ranaut's comments on the farmers' protest and urged the actor-turned-politician to exercise restraint in making such statements in the future.
The BJP MP had then claimed that the farmer protests were a build up to a "Bangladesh-like situation in India". She further alleged that dead bodies were found hanging, and that rapes were occurring at the protest sites, drawing sharp criticism from the BJP and the Opposition.
