The constable, identified as Kulwinder Kaur, reportedly slapped Ranaut over accusations of “disrespecting farmers.” Kaur has been suspended, and a First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against her.
Witnesses claim that after the slap, Kaur accused Ranaut of disrespecting farmers, referencing the 15-month-long protest against the (now scrapped) farm laws and the demand for a legal guarantee of minimum support price in 2020-21. Mobile footage shows Ranaut being escorted by security officers towards the security check-in, where she is seen conversing with some CISF officers.
Upon arriving in Delhi, Ranaut did not speak to reporters. Earlier in the day, she had posted a photo on Instagram with the caption, “On my way to parliament. Mandi ki sansad.”
In a video statement on X later that evening, Ranaut confirmed she was safe but expressed concerns about rising terrorism in Punjab. “I am safe. The incident happened at the security check-in. The woman guard waited for me to pass, then came from the side and hit me, using expletives. When I asked why she hit me, she said, ‘I support farmers.’ My concern is the rise of terrorism in Punjab. How do we handle that?” Ranaut said.
The constable reportedly mentioned being upset with Ranaut’s “Rs 100” comment during the farmers’ protest. “She had said that farmers are sitting there for ₹ 100. My mother was protesting when she made this statement,” Kaur said.
In December 2020, Ranaut had posted the “Rs 100” comment on X, suggesting an elderly woman at the protest could be hired for ₹ 100. The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee’s chief, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, demanded an “unconditional apology” from Ranaut, which led to her deleting the post.
During her election campaign, farmers had blocked Ranaut’s convoy in Chandigarh while she was heading to Mandi. In February 2021, international pop star Rihanna had commented on the farmers’ protest on X, prompting Ranaut to respond by calling the protesters “terrorists.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the withdrawal of the three controversial farm laws in November 2021, nearly 15 months after the protests began.
