Actress-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut has been dominating the headlines this week, not only for her recent political win but also for an unfortunate incident that occurred at the Chandigarh airport. Earlier in the week, Ranaut celebrated a significant victory, securing the Mandi seat in Himachal Pradesh for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, the celebratory mood took a drastic turn on Thursday when she found herself embroiled in controversy. Kangana Ranaut was allegedly slapped by a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable as she was on her way to Delhi to attend a crucial National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting.
Following the incident, immediate actions were taken. The CISF official involved was suspended, and an FIR was lodged against the constable for the altercation. The incident has sparked widespread reactions from various quarters, including several Bollywood celebrities who have weighed in on the matter, expressing their thoughts and concerns about the disturbing event.
Veteran actor Shabana Azmi was among the first to break her silence on social media. Despite her known ideological differences with Ranaut, Azmi emphasized that she would not support any celebration of the slap incident. “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,” Azmi tweeted. She highlighted the broader implications of security forces misusing their power, stressing the potential dangers it poses to general public safety.
Similarly, seasoned actor Anupam Kher voiced his dismay over the incident during a side event interaction with the paparazzi. Kher expressed profound regret over the altercation, particularly criticizing the misuse of authority in such physical exchanges. “Mujhe bara afsos hua. Ek mahila k saath ek mahila k dwaara jo apne position ka fayeda uthakar is tarah ki harqat ki, bilkul ghalat hai. Iski kanooni karwaayi honi chahiye,” Kher remarked. He underscored that while people might have grievances, taking advantage of their positional power to express those grievances violently is unacceptable and must be legally addressed. “There are democratic ways of saying that what you have said in the past has affected. But to do something like this is very sad and unfortunate.
. Not only because now Kangana is an MP or actress, Kangana is a woman. I think any kind of violence towards anybody, forget about women, isn’t right. Tomorrow anyone can do this to anyone on any matter and later make excuses. This is wrong,” Kher added.
The father-son duo Shekhar and Adhyayan Suman also shared their perspectives on the matter during the same event. Shekhar Suman described the event as “very wrong” and “unfortunate,” stressing that no one has the right to resort to such actions. “Woh ghalat hai, woh toh bohut ghalat hai. Bohut hi durbhagyepurn hai. Aesa kisi k saath nahi hona chahiye,” he commented. He reiterated that the actions of the constable were illegal and warranted punishment. “This is illegal what she has done. She should get punished for this. I understand that she might have some anger or protest in her mind but the way it was expressed was very wrong. It could also have been said in a decent manner…You can’t raise your hand on anyone like this.” Adhyayan Suman, standing by his father, also nodded in agreement, supporting the condemnation of the misuse of power.
This dramatic incident has not only brought Kangana Ranaut into the limelight for all the wrong reasons but also triggered a significant debate about the role and conduct of security personnel. The broader conversation now extends beyond Kangana’s specific case, focusing on the responsibilities and limitations of those in positions of authority.
As the public and media continue to dissect the chain of events, one undeniable fact remains: the incident has raised important questions about security, authority, and respect for personal boundaries, which are sure to be discussed and debated for days to come.
