Sparks fly in Himachal Assembly over Kangana’s remarks, BJP stages walkout

Shimla: The monsoon session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly began on Tuesday on a tumultuous note with sloganeering and heated exchanges between the ruling party and opposition members over controversial remarks made by newly elected MP Kangana Ranaut on the farmers’ agitation.

Even as the BJP tried to counter the ruling party’s assertion that the BJP has distanced itself from the statement made by the Himachal MP, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan went ahead and moved a resolution condemning the remarks by Kangana.Later, the opposition also staged a walkout from the House protesting over denial permission to move an adjournment motion on the law and order situation in the state. But, it looked as if the ruling benches had come prepared to counter the Opposition’s plan to corner the government on the law and order situation and recent monsoon tragedies.

Harshwardhan moved the resolution on the Kangana issue and said her remarks are an insult to the farmers of the entire country. He asked the BJP members to make their stand clear in the House whether they support her.

Harshwardhan said it was very unfortunate to call farmers rapists and terrorists. “The House must hold a debate on this and condemn these kinds of objectionable remarks against farmers who feed the entire country,” he said.

Extending his support to the resolution, Revenue Minister Jagat Negi said the highly objectionable comments by Kangana can create a serious law and order situation in the state. “Rather I request the CM to get a case registered against the Mandi MP so that there is no law and order situation in the state due to her remarks against the farmers,” he said.

Meanwhile, the BJP MLAs objected to the issue being raised in the House, the ruling party legislators too were on their feet.