"No Love Lost For Kangana Ranaut, But...": Shabana Azmi On Slap Row

Days after newly elected MP and actor Kangana Ranaut was slapped by a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable at Chandigarh airport, veteran actor Shabana Azmi has reacted to the incident and said security officials should not take law into their hands.

"I have no love lost for Kangana Ranaut. But I can't find myself joining this chorus of celebrating 'the slap'. If security personnel start taking law into their hands, none of us can be safe," Shabana Azmi today posted on X - earlier known as Twitter.

Actor-politician Kangana Ranaut, who won the Lok Sabha election from Himachal Pradesh's Mandi, was about to board a flight for Delhi on Thursday when the incident happened.

Mobile footage that quickly went viral showed Ms Ranaut being escorted to a check-in counter and, when she reaches there, a verbal spat breaks out. The video does not show Ms Ranaut being slapped.

In a video statement, Ms Ranaut later said she was concerned about rising terrorism in Punjab.

"I am safe. I am perfectly fine. The incident happened at the security check-in. The woman guard waited for me to cross. She then came from the side and hit me. She started throwing expletives. I asked why she hit me. She said 'I support farmers'. I am safe, but my concern is terrorism is rising in Punjab. How do we handle that?" Ms Ranaut had said.

Kulwinder Kaur, woman constable who slapped Ms Ranaut - said she slapped the actor for "disrespecting farmers". "She (Kangana Ranaut) said the farmers are sitting there for Rs 100. Will she go and sit there? My mother was sitting there and protesting when she gave this statement...".

The woman constable has been suspended and a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered.

Ms Ranaut in December 2020 had posted the "Rs 100" comment on X, after seeing an elderly woman who she said was "available for Rs 100", suggesting she can be hired to attend protests.

Then, in February 2021, reacting to support for the protests by international pop sensation Rihanna, Ms Ranaut had called the agitators "terrorists" and said they were trying to divide India. 

The farm laws were repealed in December 2021 and, days later, the actor's car was stopped in Punjab's Kiratpur Sahib by protesters demanding an apology for her statements against farmers. She was allowed to go after she spoke to a few protesters.