“During public programmes, when the media asks her for comments, she has specific instructions on what she should speak about and that she should not speak about anything else, even if the media asks other questions,” said one Himachal Pradesh BJP functionary.
The functionary added that in the case of media interactions, the state BJP unit has been given specific instructions to seek approvals for her programmes ‘directly’ from the central leadership to ensure no “unwanted comments” are made by her.
Earlier this week, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma came to Kangana’s defence after a video of her calling Subhas Chandra Bose the first Prime Minister of India in a TV interview went viral. In a post on X, Sarma wrote Friday, “To those mocking @KanganaTeam — On 21 October 1943, Netaji established the Azad Hind Govt, of which he was the head, nearly 4 years before Pt Nehru took oath as Prime Minister following transfer of power.”
To those mocking @KanganaTeam 👇
On 21 October 1943, Netaji established the Azad Hind Govt, of which he was the head, nearly 4 years before Pt Nehru took oath as Prime Minister following transfer of power.Nine countries recognised the Azad Hind Govt as the legitimate… https://t.co/keSVDxbQBf
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (Modi Ka Parivar) (@himantabiswa) April 5, 2024
The BJP has similarly been on guard since last week after Kangana Ranaut called Prime Minister Narendra Modi the “ansh” (descendant) of the Hindu deity Ram during a public meeting at Sarkaghat in Mandi district, drawing sharp reactions on social media.
“A controversy broke out recently when, during a public programme, Ranaut likened PM Modi to Lord Ram… At a time when the party is focusing on the Ram Mandir construction as one of its major poll planks, making such statements will only give ammunition to the Opposition,” a party leader said on condition of anonymity.
The BJP, said the leader, wants her to highlight issues related to women in a manner that resonates across the country because she is a national figure. Her one casual statement can affect the focus of this election, the leader added.
Also read:Disgruntled MLAs & a reticent CM — storm in Himachal Congress has been brewing for a long time
‘Any loose statement could prove fatal’
According to a BJP source, to keep Kangana Ranaut out of controversies, the party initially asked her to refrain from giving any one-to-one interviews but later came up with a pruned list of media outlets that she can give interviews to.
“This is election time, and any loose statement could prove fatal. Ranaut is an artist and does not understand how political campaigns work. She is not used to all this. She can easily be instigated to give any controversial statement. So, it has been decided that she would not give exclusive interviews for now, barring a few,” said the source.
The BJP, for now, is hand-holding her and ensuring senior leaders, including former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jairam Thakur, accompany her during public interactions.
Another leader said that after Congress leader Supriya Shrinate made derogatory remarks against Kangana, the BJP is focusing on turning it into an election issue.
“We want to focus on how ‘Himachal ki beti (Himachal’s daughter)’ was humiliated and don’t want to shift it to other things. Whenever Ranaut goes to public programmes, senior leaders accompany her. She is informed before the programme the line she has to take during the public and media interaction,” said another leader.
Wearing a Himachali cap, Kangana Ranaut is often spotted wooing Mandi voters by speaking in the local Mandyali dialect. The BJP central leadership has asked the state unit to keep the focus on her local Himachali identity by amplifying the “Himachal ki beti” tag.
Meanwhile, a senior BJP leader told ThePrint that Kangana has to contest on many fronts. “Some local leaders are unhappy with the party’s decision to field her from Mandi. Moreover, workers are not enthused, which was expected after she got the ticket. So everyone is waiting for her to make one small mistake, and they can amplify it.”