‘Need a plan to counter such allegations’ — Kangana’s ‘beef’ row casts shadow over BJP’s Mandi pitch

Claims that BJP’s Mandi candidate Kangana Ranaut is a ‘beef-eater’ have kicked up a storm. The actor has denied it, but BJP leaders say the row could impact the party’s prospects in Mandi.

Kangana Ranaut greets the public at a public meeting in Mandi | ANI

Shimla: Actor-politician and BJP’s Mandi Lok Sabha candidate Kangana Ranaut’s ‘beef’ controversy could queer the election pitch for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in ‘dev bhoomi (god’s land)’ Himachal Pradesh, with local party leaders now worrying about its impact on the parliamentary seat. 

The row erupted after Congress leader and Maharashtra’s Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar claimed at a public meeting Friday that the BJP had given a party ticket to “beef-eater” Ranaut. On the same day, Vikramaditya Singh, Himachal’s public works minister and the Congress’s probable candidate from Mandi, made the same assertion.

“Those who eat beef are contesting elections from dev bhoomi, which is a matter of concern for our culture. This has nothing to do with the politics,” he posted on his Facebook page on 6 April. 

On her part, Ranaut has dismissed the claims saying she was a “proud Hindu”.

“I don’t consume beef or any other kind of red meat, it is shameful that completely baseless rumours are being spread about me, I have been advocating and promoting yogic and Ayurvedic way of life for decades now such tactics won’t work to tarnish my image,” she posted on X Monday. 

I don’t consume beef or any other kind of red meat, it is shameful that completely baseless rumours are being spread about me, I have been advocating and promoting yogic and Ayurvedic way of life for decades now such tactics won’t work to tarnish my image. My people know me and…

— Kangana Ranaut (Modi Ka Parivar) (@KanganaTeam) April 8, 2024

The BJP, meanwhile, has publicly defended the actor, accusing the Congress of “unnecessarily raking up the issue”.

“Kangana has refuted all such claims and the matter should end here. But Congress has run out of real issues. They’re even indecisive about their candidates. That is why such allegations are being hurled,” Randhir Sharma, BJP’s MLA from Sri Naina Deviji and chief spokesperson of the state party unit, told ThePrint. 

But local party leaders privately admit that the controversy could impact the party’s prospects in Mandi, a region known for its host of local deities and strong connection with Dev Samaj, a 19th-century social reformist movement. 

“This is just the beginning. Many more controversies are expected and we will have to sweat it out to defend her. This controversy could be detrimental to the Mandi seat,” a senior leader told ThePrint.  

‘Not good for us’

In a speech in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli, Wadettiwar claimed Ranaut had “admitted to eating beef”. “BJP has given a ticket to a beef-eater. I’m not saying that. Kangana had once admitted it,” he said.

Congress leader and scion of Himachal Pradesh’s erstwhile Bushahr royal family Vikramaditya Singh repeated these assertions at a press conference he held in the state capital Shimla Tuesday. 

Calling Ranaut a “queen of controversies”, the minister said:  “I pray to Lord Ram to give her wisdom and hopes she goes back pure from ‘dev bhoomi’ Himachal to Bollywood because she will not win the election”.

Although it’s still unclear what video the two Congress leaders have been referring to, the statements have kicked up a storm on social media.  

Singh defended his remarks to ThePrint, claiming that Ranaut’s statements were “on record”. “I came to know about it from her interview,” he said. “She has admitted it in many interviews. I have nothing to say if she is changing her statement now but she had admitted it herself.”

Despite BJP’s defence of the actor, some party leaders say the controversy could affect the party’s chances in Mandi. The party is already taking measures — from vetting Ranaut’s speeches to strictly managing her media interactions — to keep the actor away from rows. 

“Such controversies aren’t good for the party,” one BJP MLA admitted. “Congress knows this and that’s why Vikramaditya raised this issue. We need a strategy to counter such allegations.”

Political analyst MPS Rana agreed, saying that given the deity culture in the region, the BJP should not take the latest row lightly. “Such allegations could have a deep impact in rural areas,” he said. 

(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)