'Completely baseless rumours': Kangana Ranaut refutes Congress leader's 'she eats beef' claim

Kangana Ranaut, actor and BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Himachal Pradesh's Mandi, on Monday said that she does not consume beef or any other form of red meat. She further said that completely baseless rumours are being spread about her, referring to Maharashtra Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar's remarks against her. 

Addressing a rally in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli, Wadettiwar said Ranaut had once written on X that she liked and ate beef, and the saffron party has now given her a ticket for the upcoming general elections. He also claimed that the BJP was welcoming all corrupt leaders into its fold, news agency PTI reported.

"I don't consume beef or any other kind of red meat, it is shameful that completely baseless rumours are being spread about me, I have been advocating and promoting yogic and Ayurvedic way of life for decades now such tactics won't work to tarnish my image. My people know me and they know that I am a proud Hindu and nothing can ever mislead them, Jai Shri Ram (sic)," Ranaut said in her post on X (formerly Twitter). 

Commenting on Wadettiwar's remark, BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said this reflects the grand old party's "dirty culture." "This reflects Congress' dirty culture. It cannot fight us on issues. This shows the party's defeatist mentality," Upadhye said. 

In a video posted on her social media, BJP leader Shaina NC accused the Congress party of being anti-women. "Vijay Wadettiwar is the leader of the Congress party in Maharashtra who is so defunct of ideology that he has the audacity to say that Kangana Ranaut was given a ticket because she is a beef eater," Shaina NC said.

She further cited Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate's rate card slur against Kangana Ranaut and senior leader Randeep Singh Surjewala's misogynistic comment against sitting MP from Mathura Hema Malini. 

Supriya Shrinate, Randeep Surjewala in hornet's nest

Supriya Shrinate courted controversy after an objectionable post was shared on her Instagram account. The post, which featured an image of Ranaut in a risque outfit and a derogatory caption, came after the BJP declared Kangana Ranaut as its Lok Sabha candidate from Mandi.

She, however, was not the only one who came in the news for misogynistic comments. Senior Congress leader from Haryana Randeep Singh Surjewala also made objectionable comments against Hema Malini at a rally. A video of the same was shared by Amit Malviya on X. 

Women voters will answer on June 4

"If the Congress party is so defunct of any thought process, I think the befitting answer will be on June 4 when the women of India speak up and vote against this anti-women party called the Congress," the BJP leader concluded.