Congress accuses Kangana Ranaut of beef consumption; BJP responds
A controversy has erupted in Maharashtra over claims by Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Kangana Ranaut once claimed she liked beef. Speaking at a rally, Wadettiwar claimed that Ranaut had written on X that she liked and ate beef, and the BJP had now handed her a Lok Sabha ticket. On Saturday, the BJP reacted strongly to these "ludicrous comments," saying, "This is not the first time the Congress has made such comments."
BJP leader in Maharashtra addresses allegations
Addressing the allegations, Shaina NC, a BJP leader in Maharashtra, said, "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." "Supriya Shrinate has said 'mandi me kya rate hai' and Randeep Surjewala talks about Hema Malini's attributes despite her being the age of Sonia Gandhi...This Congress party is clearly anti-women," she added.
Congress party is clearly anti-women: Shaina
Recent controversies over inappropriate comments
This incident followed recent reprimands by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to both Congress spokesperson Shrinate and BJP MP Dilip Ghosh for their inappropriate comments about women. Shrinate was reprimanded for sharing an objectionable post against Ranaut, whom the BJP fielded from Mandi, Himchal Pradesh. Similarly, BJP MP Ghosh was chastised for ridiculing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's claims of being the "daughter" of various states in a video.
ECI censures Ghosh, Shrinate
On Monday, the ECI said that both leaders violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by using derogatory remarks against the dignity of women. Both politicians have been advised to be mindful of their public statements during the MCC period. Following the censure, the ECI will closely scrutinize the election-related communications of Ghosh and Shrinate.
