Will have to face trial over remarks on farmers as Agra court reverses earlier dismissal
Munish Sood
MANDI: The storm that began during the farmers’ protest is refusing to die down for actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut. Days after she tendered an apology in a Punjab court for her controversial remarks on farmers, the BJP MP from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh now faces sedition proceedings in an Agra court over allegedly derogatory comments made during the 2020-21 agitation.
On Wednesday, Special MP-MLA Court Judge Lokesh Kumar accepted a revision petition against the lower court’s decision that had earlier dismissed the case. The court ordered that trial proceedings be conducted afresh in the same lower court, effectively reviving charges under sections 356 and 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) — provisions dealing with sedition and promoting enmity.
Remarks that reignited anger among farm community
The case stems from a September 2024 complaint filed by advocate Ramashankar Sharma, who accused Kangana Ranaut of insulting farmers during a television interview on August 26, 2024.
In the interview, she reportedly said that during the Delhi border protests, “rapes and murders took place”, and claimed that without a strong national leadership, “India could have turned into another Bangladesh”.
Sharma, who hails from a farming background, said the statements were deeply offensive. “Kangana Ranaut called farmers rapists, murderers and extremists,” he told reporters, adding that he had also written to the Agra Police Commissioner and the New Agra police station seeking action.
Six summons, but no appearance
Kangana Ranaut has so far not appeared before the court, despite six summons issued against her. The complaint, first dismissed by a local court, was revived after the special judge observed that there was sufficient ground to proceed.
The fresh order means the trial will now resume, potentially reopening one of the most politically sensitive controversies involving the Mandi MP, who was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 2024.
From slap to apology
The controversy comes months after a CISF woman constable at Chandigarh airport slapped Kangana, allegedly in retaliation for her comments about women farmers during the protest. The constable, later suspended, had said her mother had participated in the agitation Kangana had mocked.
Recently, the actor-turned-MP issued an apology in a Punjab court, saying her remarks were not intended to hurt sentiments. However, with the Agra court reviving sedition proceedings, the political and legal troubles around the “Queen” star appear far from over.
