MANDI: Himachal Pradesh PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh, who had lost the last Lok Sabha election from Mandi to Bollywood actor-turned-BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, has come out in support of his political rival, though indirectly.
This comes after Kangana’s controversial post comparing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to US President Donald Trump was reportedly taken down on the advice of BJP national president JP Nadda.
Vikramaditya, who has earlier traded sharp barbs with Kangana over various issues, posted a cryptic yet sharply worded message on social media that is being widely interpreted as criticism of the BJP high command’s silencing of Kangana, even as it subtly defends her right to speak.
Kangana’s controversial post and BJP’s reaction
“Those who dare to speak the truth are being made to delete their words,” Vikramaditya wrote, without naming anyone. He questioned the silence around Donald Trump’s alleged threat to Apple over its India production plans and expressed solidarity with those “who are silenced when they speak the truth”.
The timing and tone of the message have sparked speculation, with many political observers seeing it as an unexpected moment of ideological alignment between two fierce local rivals.
The controversy erupted after Kangana Ranaut, now a first-time MP from Mandi, shared a provocative post on social media responding to reports that Donald Trump had allegedly asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to halt production in India unless it was for domestic consumption only. In her now-deleted post, Kangana lavished praise on PM Modi while subtly mocking Trump.
She wrote: “What could be the reason for this loss of affection? He is the American President, but the world’s most loved leader is the Indian Prime Minister. Trump is eyeing a second term, while Modi is heading into his third. Trump may be an alpha male, but our PM is the father of all alpha males.”
Political rivalry with new turn
She concluded with the pointed question: “Is this personal jealousy or diplomatic insecurity?” The post quickly went viral, prompting both praise and backlash. However, within hours, Kangana revealed that JP Nadda personally contacted her and requested the post be taken down to avoid potential diplomatic embarrassment.
In a follow-up statement, she said: “Respected Shri @JPNadda ji asked me to delete the tweet I had posted regarding Trump and Apple CEO Tim Cook. I regret expressing such a personal opinion and immediately deleted it from Instagram as well.”
The Vikramaditya-Kangana rivalry has been one of Himachal Pradesh’s most talked-about political contests in recent history.
Munish Sood
