Kangana slap row: Farmer outfits take out march in support of CISF woman constable

PTI, Jun 9, 2024, 5:18 PM IST

Chandigarh: Several farmer outfits, including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, on Sunday took out a march in Mohali in support of the CISF woman constable, who allegedly slapped actor and BJP MP-elect Kangana Ranaut.

Farmer leaders demanded that a fair investigation should be conducted into the matter while asserting that there should not be any injustice with the woman constable Kulwinder Kaur.

Adequate security personnel were deployed in the wake of the march, which began from Gurdwara Amb Sahib in Mohali.

Speaking to reporters, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that there should be an impartial probe into the matter.

Asserting it should be found out what led to the incident, Pandher said that there should be no injustice with the woman constable.

Farmer leaders also lashed out at Ranaut for allegedly making provocative statements against the people of Punjab.

Kaur was apparently upset with Ranaut over her stance on the farmers’ protests. The CISF, tasked with providing security at airports, has also ordered a court of inquiry into the incident.

The Mohali Police has booked Kaur under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint). Both are bailable offences.

Ranaut, in a video message on Thursday, said she was hit in the face and abused by the constable during a security check at the Chandigarh airport, the ugly fracas breaking out two days after she was elected to the Lok Sabha from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh.

In a video statement titled ‘Shocking rise in terror and violence in Punjab’ posted on X after she landed in Delhi after the incident on Thursday, Ranaut said she was safe and fine.

The constable, Ranaut had said, came towards her from the side.

“She hit me in the face and started abusing me. I asked her why she did it and she said she supports the farmer protests.”

“I am safe but my concern is that terrorism and extremism are increasing in Punjab… How do we handle that?” Ranaut had said.

Another video doing the rounds on social media showed the agitated constable talking to people presumably after the incident.

“Kangana made a statement (earlier) that farmers were protesting in Delhi because they were paid Rs 100 or Rs 200. At the time, my mother was one of the protesters,” she said in the purported video.