Amid Disaster Tour, Angry Locals Show Black flags to Kangana
Kangana Ranaut’s visit to the storm-ravaged areas of Manali on Thursday was met not just with gratitude, but with frustration and angry slogans. The actress and BJP MP from Mandi faced protests from Youth Congress workers and locals who showed her black flags and chanted “go back, you are late.”
The tour was intended to assess the massive damage to public and private property from recent monsoon rains in her constituency. As a local business owner herself—with a home and restaurant in Manali—many residents had been eagerly awaiting her intervention to secure state and central relief funds. Their central question to her was a poignant one: why did it take so long for her to be with them in their time of distress?
Tensions flared as BJP workers accompanying the MP clashed with protesters, requiring police intervention to prevent the situation from escalating.
In a now-viral video, Ranaut responded to the criticism with emotional defiance. Pushing back against the narrative of a detached leader, she stated, “Don’t attack me as if I am the queen of England and doing nothing; I am my own breadwinner and even I have been affected by the natural disaster.” She highlighted her own losses, revealing that her restaurant had taken in only Rs. 50 the previous day while her monthly expenses to maintain it run into lakhs.
In another heated exchange, as a local woman repeatedly tried to interrupt her to share her plight, Kangana urged for calm. “Have you come to attack me or to question me?” she asked. “Don’t attack me; ask questions and just calm down.” She assured the crowd that the Central government has already allocated Rs. 10,000 crore to the state for relief and restoration efforts.
