In a scene worthy of a troubling Bollywood script, Kangana Ranaut found herself at the centre of a real-life drama on Thursday afternoon at Chandigarh airport. As reported by NDTV, the actor-turned-politician was slapped by a CISF guard in broad daylight, amidst a crowd, raising questions about airport security protocols.

The incident occurred as Ranaut, fresh off her Lok Sabha election win from Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi constituency, was en route to New Delhi. The CISF woman constable involved, identified as Kulwinder Kaur, has since been suspended, with an FIR being lodged against her based on a written complaint from CISF officials. Local police have also received a complaint regarding the matter.

According to CNN-News18, the altercation happened after the security check when Ranaut was heading to the boarding gate. While the exact provocation remains unclear, sources suggest Kaur’s actions may have been fuelled by anger over Ranaut’s previous statements about the farmers’ protest in India.

In a video statement on social media, Ranaut reassured her fans of her safety but voiced concerns about terrorism and violence in Punjab. “I have been getting a lot of phone calls from the media and my well-wishers. I am safe, I am perfectly fine. What happened at the Chandigarh airport today was during the security check. When I left after the security check, the CISF personnel hit me on my face. She abused me. When I asked her why she did it, she told me that she supports farmers’ protests. I am safe but my concern is, how do we handle terror in Punjab?” she said.

Despite the gravity of the incident, CISF has yet to clarify what transpired, but an inquiry committee of senior officers has been established to investigate the matter. Retired Major Gaurav Arya condemned the constable’s behaviour in a statement on X, asserting, “CISF Constable Kulwinder Kaur who attacked Kangana Ranaut will be punished. She may lose her job. That is what she probably planned all along. This whole thing about supporting the farmer’s protest is utter nonsense.”

Ranaut then shared the Major’s statement on social media and added a message of her own, alleging that the farmers’ protest was not actually the real provocation, but rather that Kaur was a supporter of the Khalistan movement which seeks to create a separate homeland for Sikhs. 

“This makes most sense to me, she strategically waited for me to cross her and in a signature Khalistani style quietly came from behind and hit my face without saying a word. When I asked why she did that, she looked away and started to speak into the phone cameras focused on her (can be seen in her videos) hogging sudden public attention. Farmers laws have been repealed and they don’t concern anyone anymore. Probably this was her way of joining the Khalistani bandwagon which is getting major political seats in Punjab,” wrote Ranaut.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) also took note of the incident, condemning the actions of the CISF constable. “The NCW is disturbed by today’s incident with Kangana at Chandigarh Airport. We condemn this incident and call for immediate suspension and strict action against Ms Kaur if allegations are confirmed. A letter has been sent to Director General CISF,” the NCW stated on X.

This shocking episode comes just days after Ranaut triumphed over her closest rival, Congress’s Vikramaditya Singh, by a margin of over 74,000 votes to secure her seat in Mandi.

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