Kangana Ranaut slapgate: Case filed against CISF constable in Punjab

Chandigarh, June 7 (IANS) A day after Bollywood actress and newly-elected BJP MP Kangana Ranaut was allegedly slapped by a CISF constable at the Chandigarh Airport, an FIR was registered against the accused constable, Kulwinder Kaur, in Punjab on Friday in connection with the case. Kaur has been booked under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 341 (wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). However, no arrest has been made so far. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable was initially detained and later suspended after Kangana on Thursday told the CISF officials on her arrival at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi that she was slapped and abused by a woman constable at the Chandigarh Airport before she boarded the flight to Delhi. “I was hit on the face, abused. I am safe but concerned about terrorism in Punjab,” Ranaut said in a video uploaded on her X handle with the caption, “Shocking rise in terror and violence in Punjab.” Terming the incident as unfortunate and not in good taste, Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar said on Friday that any form of violence as a means to express dissent is unacceptable and needs condemnation. Meanwhile, farmer unions the SKM (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee have announced their support for the suspended CISF constable, claiming that Kangana had called Kulwinder “Khalistan Kaur”. The constable, who has been on duty at the airport for the past two-and-a-half years, in fact, was seen on television channels after the incident, stating that she was upset because of the kind of statements made by Kangana during the farmers’ agitation. “She (Kangana) made a statement that the farmers were sitting in protest for Rs 100. Will she go and sit there? My mother was sitting there and protesting when she made this statement,” Kaur added. It is learnt that the constable was also unhappy because Kangana referred to the protesting farmers as ‘Khalistanis’. CISF DIG Vinay Kajla was quoted by the media as saying, “It was an emotional outburst on her (the constable) part. She is apologetic about the incident. Her husband is also in the CISF and posted with the dog squad here.” In the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections, Kangana defeated her nearest rival Vikramaditya Singh of the Congress by 74,755 votes from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. –IANS vg/arm