Row over Cong leaders derogatory comments escalates: Every woman deserves dignity, says Kangana

Chandigarh/New Delhi: Every woman, irrespective of her background and profession, deserves dignity, actor Kangana Ranaut said on Tuesday as Congress leaders’ comments on Mandi from where she is contesting the Lok Sabha elections snowballed into a massive political row. Ranaut, who makes her political debut as a BJP candidate from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, said she was particularly pained by the derogatory comments on the constituency that is often referred to as “Chhota Kashi” the world over. The Congress has been in the crosshairs after demeaning remarks on Ranaut and Mandi were posted on the social media handles of its leaders Supriya Shrinate and H S Ahir.

“Whatever be the profession of a woman, be it a teacher, actress, journalist, politician or a sex worker, all of them deserve dignity. I’m pained especially because of the deplorable comments made about Mandi... All of us who come from Mandi have been hurt by the comments,” Ranaut said. Asked whether she plans to take any action against the two Congress leaders, the “Queen” actor, often in the news for her controversial comments on a range of issues, said she had been called to Delhi by BJP president J P Nadda and would respond only after meeting him.

“I have to maintain the dignity of the party. I can’t walk before it. I have to walk with them and follow their instructions,” the 37-year-old said. A host of BJP leaders, including Bansuri Swaraj, Amit Malviya and former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, spoke up on the issue.

Congress spokesperson Shrinate said in her defence on Monday, when the controversy erupted, that many people have access to her Facebook and Instagram accounts and one of them made the inappropriate post. She also said she had deleted the post and will take action against a parody account that is using her name. But that had little impact.

“If your account is posting what a parody account posts, then it simply means that admins of both accounts are the same. One has to be self conceited, to the point of being deranged, to do so.

Also the admins must have a very low opinion of you to post such offensive stuff and get away,” Malviya said. Bansuri Swaraj, daughter of the late Sushma Swaraj and the party’s candidate from New Delhi, said the top leadership of the Congress must apologise.