Kangana Ranaut’s new remarks on Mahatma Gandhi sparks row, ‘Dhanye hai, desh ke yeh laal…’

Lok Sabha Member of Parliament Kangana Ranaut on Wednesday courted a new controversy with a social media post on Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. This comes just days after she faced backlash over her comments on the farmers’ protest.

In a series of stories on social media platform Instagram, Ranaut said, “Desh ke pita nahi, desh ke to lal hote hai. Dhanye hai Bharat ma ke ye lal (‘The country does not have fathers; it has sons. Blessed are these sons of Mother India).”

The stories were followed by a post where she credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for carrying forward Gandhi’s legacy on cleanliness in the country.

Ranaut’s stories was subjected to severe criticism from political leaders from Congress as well as the BJP.

Manoranjan Kalia, a senior BJP leader from Punjab, criticised Ranaut for her latest remarks.

“I condemn Kangana Ranaut’s comments made on Gandhi ji’s 155th birth anniversary. In her short political career, she has developed a habit of making controversial statements,” Kalia said in a video posted on social media.

“Politics is not her field. Politics is a serious affair. One must think before speaking…Her controversial remarks cause trouble for the party,” he added.

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate criticising Ranaut for her “lewd jibe” at Gandhi.

“BJP MP Kangana made this lewd jibe on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary. Godse worshippers draw distinctions between Bapu and Shastri ji. Will Narendra Modi wholeheartedly forgive his party’s new Godse devotee? There is the Father of the Nation, there are sons, and there are martyrs. Everyone deserves respect,” Shrinate said in a post on X.

Earlier, Ranaut had to face backlash for advocating the return of the three farm laws, which were repealed in 2021.

She had said that the farmers’ agitation against the farm laws was leading to “Bangladesh-type situation in India”, claiming that “dead bodies were hanging, and rapes were taking place” at the protest sites.

BJP distanced itself from her statements. The Mandi MP later apologised for her statement and took them back. She acknowledged that she should remember she is not just an artist but also a BJP member.