Congress challenges Ranaut to prove charge against Himachal govt, Sonia Gandhi

PTI, Sep 23, 2024, 3:43 PM IST

The Himachal Pradesh Congress on Monday challenged Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut to prove her allegation that the state government took loans and diverted the money to Sonia Gandhi, failing which it said it would file a defamation case against her.

Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh told reporters that her comments showed the BJP MP’s “intellectual bankruptcy”.

“There cannot be a bigger foolish statement than saying that funds coming from the Centre or the state’s funds for development are being given to Sonia Gandhi,” he said.

“I openly challenge BJP MP Kangana Ranaut to show proof of even Rs 1 being diverted or apologise to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for making such baseless and unwarranted allegations against her. Otherwise, the Congress will file a defamation case against her,” the minister added.

Actor-politician Ranaut on Sunday claimed everyone was aware that Congress-ruled state governments had hollowed out their coffers.

Attacking the Himachal Pradesh government, she alleged, “They take loans and give it to Sonia Gandhi, which has made the state’s coffers hollow.” “If we (Centre) give disaster funds, it goes to the CM Relief Fund but everyone knows that it goes to the Sonia relief fund from there,” she had said during a BJP programme in Manali.

The minister, the son of former chief minister Virbhadra Singha and the Congress’ incumbent state president Pratibha Singh, said, “It hurts to say that she is not much educated and the same reflects in her statements. We all know that funds from the Centre and state development funds are spent through line of credit, draft and overdraft facilities.” Singh also took a dig at the actor over her film “Emergency” still not being cleared for release by the Central Board of Film Certification.

The BJP MP does not visit Himachal Pradesh often but, with her film being “blocked” by the censor board, maybe she is saddened and making baseless statements from her home in Manali, Singh said.

Ranaut had recently said “Emergency” was stuck with the censor board. The BJP MP stars in the role of former prime minister Indira Gandhi in the film.

Singh, the public works department (PWD) minister, further called Ranaut “out of control” and said she had been rebuked by the BJP central leadership and told not to speak on sensitive issues.

On Sunday, in a dig at Singh, whom she had defeated in the Lok Sabha elections, Ranaut said, “Acts of the son of a ‘king’ are known to everyone and people are tired of potholes on the roads. I would do more than possible for my area but the PWD minister should also do something.” Earlier, Pratibha Singh had told reporters that making allegations without facts was unfortunate and anyone could understand Ranaut’s mindset.