In a shocking incident, Indian actor and newly elected BJP member of parliament Kangana Ranaut was slapped by a security guard at Chandigarh airport on Thursday. Ranaut was en route to New Delhi following her recent Lok Sabha election victory from Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi constituency.
The altercation occurred at the boarding gate after Ranaut had completed her security check. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable, identified as Kulwinder Kaur, has been suspended, and an FIR has been registered against her. Reports indicate that Kaur, who comes from a family of farmers, was offended by Ranaut’s past remarks about the farmers’ protests.
Kaur reportedly stated, “She gave a statement… that farmers are sitting there for INR 100. Will she go and sit there? My mother was sitting there and protesting when she gave this statement.” Kaur also accused Ranaut of “disrespecting farmers.”
Ranaut took to Instagram to recount the incident, stating, “I am safe, I am perfectly fine. The incident happened at the security check-in. The woman guard waited for me to cross. She then came and hit me and started throwing expletives. I asked [her] why she hit me. She said, ‘I support farmers protest’. I am safe but my concern is terrorism is rising in Punjab. How do we handle that?”
The farmers’ movement in Punjab has been active since the Modi regime approved three controversial agricultural bills in 2020. Ranaut has been vocal against the movement, leading to multiple controversies and even an FIR for calling protesting farmers “terrorists.”
Following the incident, military officer Gaurav Arya alleged on X (formerly Twitter) that Kaur “will be punished” and suggested the incident was a strategic move for political purposes. Ranaut echoed these sentiments on Instagram, claiming Kaur’s actions were a way of joining the “Khalistani bandwagon,” referring to the separatist movement seeking a sovereign Sikh state in Punjab.
Ranaut also controversially linked the incident to the broader geopolitical context, comparing supporters of Palestine to her situation and criticizing the Bollywood fraternity for their silence.
Devoleena Bhattacharjee, known for her role in Saath Nibhana Saathiya, was one of the few celebrities to speak out, stating, “It is not just a slap. It’s a matter of Indian security. It can be more dangerous than one can think of. Nothing less than a security threat, should be dealt like one.”