Kangana Ranaut Row Needs Probe, Politicians Should Stop Labelling Protestors As Khalistanis: Rakesh Tikait

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Friday threw his weight behind the CISF woman personnel who allegedly slapped actor-turned-BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, saying the matter required complete probe.

Tikait also cautioned politicians against labelling protestors as Khalistanis or their supporters.

Ranaut, in a video message on Thursday, said she was hit in the face and abused by a CISF constable during security check at the Chandigarh airport.

The ugly fracas broke out two days after she was elected to the Lok Sabha from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh.

Kulwinder Kaur, the accused CISF personnel, has been suspended and an investigation has been launched. The CISF, tasked with providing security at airports, has also ordered a court of inquiry into the incident.

”What happened at the airport with Member of Parliament Kangana Ranaut, it was an argument, that girl (Kaur), who is understood to have slapped her (Ranaut), she did not hit her. It was an argument,” Tikait said in Aligarh.

”When the farmers’ protest was on, she (Ranaut) had given a statement that women protestors took Rs 100 each for the sit-in. She (the CISF personnel) was hurt due to that (Ranaut’s statement). She had raised questions (with Ranaut). Whole Punjab is with her,” the BKU leader said.

”If she (Kaur) has done anything wrong, impose charges on her for that but her suspension or dismissal from service — this needs to be probed, why such incident happened. Are people of the forces not upset? ”The slogan of ’Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’ is raised in the country. The children working in forces belong to our families, were they not called terrorists for one year? Were they not insulted for 13 months? This pain is felt by every soldier in the force. Don’t poke them unnecessarily,” he added.

Tikait said politicians must also stop making such statements and calling Punjabis as Khalistanis or their supporters.

Earlier, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha were among the prominent outfits which expressed support of the CISF constable.

The Mohali Police has booked Kaur under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 341 (wrongful restraint), both are bailable offences.

No arrest has been made yet, they said and added the FIR was registered on a complaint by the CISF.