'Desh ke pita nahin hote': Kangana Ranaut courts controversy, Congress retorts with 'Godse devotee' jibe

Actor-politician Kangana Ranaut on Wednesday courted controversy with her remarks on Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in a recent social media post. BJP MP from Himachal Pradesh's Mandi said in her post that a country does not have fathers but has sons.

The post courted controversy as it seemed to downplay Mahatma Gandhi's stature as the Father of the Nation. Ranaut wrote in one of her Instagram Stories: "Desh ke pita nahi, desh ke to lal hote hain. Dhanya hai Bharat ma ke ye lal (The country does not have fathers; it has sons. Blessed are these sons of Mother India)."

In another story, Ranaut also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking forward Gandhi's legacy on cleanliness in India. The actor's post on Gandhi Jayanti evoked strong reactions from the Congress. 

Congress national spokesperson Supriya Shrinate called Ranaut a 'Godse devotee' and said that everyone deserves respect. Shrinate also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Ranaut's remarks against Gandhi. 

"BJP MP Kangana made this lewd jibe on Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary. Godse worshippers draw distinctions between Bapu and Shastri ji. Will Narendra Modi wholeheartedly forgive his party's new Godse devotee? There is the Father of the Nation, there are sons, and there are martyrs. Everyone deserves respect," she said in a post on X. 

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader from Punjab Manoranjan Kalita criticised Ranaut for her remarks. Kalita said in a video posted on social media that the Mandi MP has developed a habit of making controversial statements in her short political career. 

"Politics is not her field. Politics is a serious affair. One must think before speaking... Her controversial remarks cause trouble for the party," the senior BJP leader said. 

Previously, Ranaut received flak for advocating the return of the three farm laws that were repealed in 2021. The actor claimed that the protests against these farm laws were leading to a "Bangladesh-type situation in India".

She also claimed at the time that "dead bodies were hanging, and rapes were taking place" at the protest sites. Ranaut, however, retracted her statement following the backlash. 

She acknowledged that she should remember that she is not just an artist but also a BJP member.