Rakesh Tikait writes to BJP chief over Kangana Ranaut’s remarks on farmers

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait has written a letter to BJP’s national president, JP Nadda, expressing strong objections to statements made by Mandi MP and actress Kangana Ranaut about the farmers’ community. In the letter, Tikait demanded a response from the BJP president regarding these remarks.
In the letter, Tikait wrote, “You hold the responsibility of leading the nation’s largest party and advancing its ideology, but it raises questions as to why your party chose a candidate with little knowledge of the country’s realities to contest for Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Kangana Ranaut repeatedly targets the country’s agrarian community, making the rural population feel humiliated”.
Criticising Kangana’s controversial statements, Tikait said that the actress claiming that India gained independence in 2014 is an insult to the country’s freedom fighters and revolutionaries.
Further in the letter, Tikait highlighted Kangana’s remarks made in 2020, 2021, and 2024, accusing her of disrespecting farmers and women. He condemned her for labelling farmers as ‘Khalistanis’ and ‘terrorists’ and for her demand to reinstate the contentious farm laws.
Tikait concluded the letter by urging the BJP chief to clarify whether such statements were being promoted by the party.
“Respected JP Nadda ji, please make it clear if these actions are endorsed by your party. The repeated targeting of the nation’s farmers has left this vital community feeling insulted. We hope you will respond to this letter,” Tikait said.
Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut stirred controversy on September 24 after she suggested that the three farm reform laws, which were scrapped following farmers’ protests, should be brought back.
Her comments drew sharp criticism from the BJP, and she issued a public apology, and said, “I take my words back”.
Notably, this wasn’t the first time the BJP rebuked remarks by the first-time Lok Sabha MP. Last month, the party distanced itself from Kangana Ranaut’s comments on the farmers’ protest and urged the actor-turned-politician to exercise restraint in making such statements in the future.
The BJP MP had then claimed that the farmer protests were a build up to a “Bangladesh-like situation in India”. She further alleged that dead bodies were found hanging, and that rapes were occurring at the protest sites, drawing sharp criticism from the BJP and the Opposition.