Kangana Ranaut Attacks Congress: Communal, Casteist, and Dynastic

Kullu, May 2024 — Kangana Ranaut, the BJP candidate for the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency, launched a scathing attack on the Congress party during her campaign stops in Udaipur, Lahaul-Spiti, and a dozen other locations. She accused the Congress and its allies in the INDIA alliance of being communal, deeply casteist, and dynastic, claiming that they have based their politics on these issues for 70 years.

Ranaut stated that the Congress has betrayed the poor, SC-ST, OBC, women, and every section of society. She accused the party of now trying to divide reservations on a religious basis to appease a particular vote bank. She alleged that if not for B.R. Ambedkar, SC-ST reservations would not exist, as leaders like Nehru opposed it. She claimed that from Nehru to Rajiv Gandhi, every Prime Minister from the Nehru-Gandhi family opposed reservations.

Highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, Ranaut said that the world is witnessing India becoming a powerful nation under his guidance. She emphasized that the nation is determined to see Modi lead the country once again. She contrasted the divisive mindset of the INDIA alliance leaders with the BJP’s inclusive vision encapsulated in the slogan, “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas” (Together with all, Development for all, Trust of all, Efforts by all).

Ranaut’s rhetoric turned personal when she criticized Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh, alleging that his mother, Pratibha Singh, had failed to instill good values in him. She accused Singh of making derogatory remarks about women, citing his objections to a woman entering temples and questioning women’s character. She dismissed him as a “Facebook leader” with no real vision for Mandi, pointing out that despite his family’s historical political presence in the region, they have no tangible achievements to show.

She challenged Singh to list his accomplishments as a minister over the past 15 months instead of just criticizing the central government. She also accused him of opposing the establishment of the Sardar Patel University in Mandi.

In her closing remarks, Ranaut expressed confidence that the divine people of Mandi would reject the Congress’s authoritarian and feudal politics and vote for the BJP’s development-oriented agenda. She urged the voters to punish the Congress for its history of questioning women’s privacy and dignity.

Ranaut’s fiery speech underscored the intense political rivalry and high stakes in the upcoming election, framing it as a battle between the BJP’s development vision and the Congress’s divisive politics.