SHIMLA, Apr 11 : Actor Kangana Ranaut, the BJP candidate from Mandi seat in Himachal Pradesh, Thursday launched a blistering attack on minister Vikramaditya Singh, saying he cannot threaten her and send her back as it is not his ancestors’ estate.
Son of former chief minister late Virbhadra Singh and state Congress chief Pratibha Singh, Himachal Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh is the frontrunner as the Congress’ nominee for the Mandi Lok Sabha seat.
Addressing a rally in Manali assembly constituency falling under Mandi Parliament seat, Kangana said, “Yeh tumhare baap-dada ki riyasat nahin hai, ke tum mujhe dara, dhamka ke vapis bhej doge (This is not the estate of your father or grandfather that you will threaten me and send me back).”
This is the new Bharat of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where a small, poor boy who used to sell tea is the biggest hero and “pradhan sevak” of the people, she added.
Vikramaditya Singh had on Monday said Kangana is a “queen of controversies” and questions will be raised on her statements given from time to time.
Referring to Kangana’s reported comments over beef-eating, Vikramaditya Singh had said, “I pray to Lord Ram to give her wisdom and hope she goes back pure from ‘Dev Bhoomi’ Himachal to Bollywood because she will not win the elections as she knows nothing about people of Himachal.”
Vikramaditya Singh is the scion of the erstwhile Bhushar estate, now known as Rampur, which is one of the 17 assembly segments falling under the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency.
Indirectly dubbing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Vikramaditya Singh as “Pappu”, Kangana said there is one “Bada Pappu” in Delhi and the “Chhota Pappu” in Himachal says she eats beef. She asked why he is not showing the evidence of her consuming beef.
“I follow ayurvedic and yogic lifestyle,” she asserted.
Terming Vikramaditya Singh as “ek number ka jhootha” (liar No. 1) and “paltubaaz” (one who repeatedly changes stance), she wondered what can be expected from him when “Bada Pappu” talks about destroying the “nari Shakti” (women power).
“I have made my name in the film industry without the help of my father and mother… I want to join politics and serve the people,” she said, and asserted that politics is an expression of service and anyone from a king to a beggar is entitled to that expression.
The whole country is worshipping the daughters during the ongoing ‘Navratras’, but still there is no change in the Congress leaders’ anti-women thoughts, she said, and challenged Vikramaditya Singh to successfully do even one scene from her film.
“If he can do even one scene of my film successfully, I will leave politics and the country,” she said, and added that the actors do not choose art but art chooses them.
Reacting to Kangana’s speech, Vikramaditya Singh said the kind of language and words his “elder sister Kangana Ranaut” today used for him, the Congress and Himachal Pradesh have never been used in “Devbhoomi” Himachal.
“I would like to say that rather than using such a language, it would have been better if she would have talked about the issues of Manali,” and asked whether she visited Manali even for one day during the worst ever monsoon disaster.
He reiterated that he was present on ground zero at the time of disaster and detailed the works undertaken to restore normalcy in the area.
“The people of Himachal have nothing to do with what you eat and what you drink in Mumbai. Please talk on issues, your vision, what you did during the disaster and what would be your role in the future,” he added.
Referring to her experience in Bollywood, Kangana said, “These ‘Raja betas’ had problems with me in the film industry. The girls were used and when I raised my voice, these ‘parivarvadi’ and ‘vanshvadi’ (dynasty and family-centric) ‘Pappus’, who stay under the influence of liquor and drugs, threatened me and even sent notice to me threatening to put me behind bars but could not harm me.
“Instead I removed the heroes from my films with the support of the people of the country,” she said.
Subsequently, “another Pappu Udhay Thackrey” threatened her and damaged her house, she said.
“But today, he is seeing that so many people like him tried to bully me but still I am standing on this platform with the support of the people,” she said.
“I promise to come back here and if you make me victorious, I will set an example for the society where the daughters will compete with sons in all spheres of life,” she added.
She asked where are the jobs promised by the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, and told the people not to fall prey to their “false promises” and return to the world where “corruption” and “poverty” ruled the nation.
Kangana said Manali is her home and she wants to live a peaceful life in a small village.
“I have built a house here,” said Kangana, who also touched the feet of an elderly couple during her rally in Manali.
Earlier, she was welcomed with slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’. (PTI)