Kangana Ranaut Demands Return of Farm Laws

BJP MP Kangana Ranaut has once again sparked controversy by saying that the three farm laws, which were repealed after widespread protests, should be reinstated by the government.

Speaking to reporters in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, Kangana stated, “I know this statement might be controversial, but the three farm laws should be brought back. Farmers themselves should demand this.”

Kangana argued that the three farm laws were beneficial for farmers, but the government was forced to repeal them due to protests from farmer groups in some states. “Farmers are a pillar of strength for the nation’s development. I appeal to them to demand the return of these laws for their own benefit,” she added.

The Congress party sharply reacted to Kangana’s statement. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, “Over 750 farmers were martyred opposing these three black anti-farmer laws. Efforts are now being made to bring them back. We will never allow this to happen.”

She further added, “Haryana will be the first to respond,” alluding to the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections.

AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang remarked, “I feel sorry for PM Modi. He admitted he couldn’t understand the farmers’ concerns and decided to withdraw the laws. Now it seems Kangana is challenging PM Modi, or PM Modi has become helpless—only the BJP can clarify.”

Kangana Ranaut has long been at odds with farmer groups over her comments on their year-long protest against the farm laws. Recently, she claimed that the farmer protests were leading to a “Bangladesh-like situation” in India and alleged that dead bodies and rapes were occurring at the protest sites.

Her comments led to widespread backlash, forcing the BJP to distance itself from her statements.

The three farm laws, enacted in 2020, aimed to deregulate agricultural markets by allowing farmers to sell outside of government-regulated markets, enter contracts with buyers, and eliminate stockpiling limits on essential commodities. The government argued that these reforms would enhance farmers’ incomes by providing them with greater freedom.

However, many farmers, particularly from Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh, feared that the reforms would lead to corporate exploitation and dismantle the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system.

After over a year of protests at Delhi’s borders, the government repealed the laws in November 2021, citing the inability to build a consensus with farmers as the primary reason for the rollback.