'My restaurant made only Rs 50': BJP MP Kangana Ranaut to Manali flood-hit victims amid 'Go Back' slogans

Manali, Sep 18 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha MP from Mandi and actress Kangana Ranaut told locals in her Lok Sabha constituency on Thursday that her restaurant had done a total sale of Rs 50 when the people there expressed their anger at her for not asking about their well-being when the monsoon calamity hit them.

Trying to convince the residents of Patlikuhal town near the tourist resort in Himachal Pradesh that her business in Manali was also impacted by the fury, the BJP MP said, "My restaurant here made only Rs 50 in business, while I have to pay Rs 15 lakh in salaries. Please understand my situation too. I am also human, a single woman."

The BJP leader's assertions came after locals, upset over her "deliberate ignorance" of her constituency, raised slogans such as "Go back, you are late" against her.

"Don't attack me as if I am the Queen of England doing nothing for you. I also earn my living here," the MP said.

The locals voiced their anger over her delayed arrival in disaster-hit areas, and the calamity has badly impacted their hotel and horticulture businesses.

"My house is here. All my business and land is here. I too have suffered losses. Entire roads have collapsed. Earlier, we used to leave to study and earn outside. Recently, we received big projects, but the disaster has torn them apart," Ranaut said.

She asked, "You are attacking me instead of asking questions. Don't attack, ask questions. I am also from here. If you come to scratch me, how will I work?"

Heated arguments were also witnessed when the BJP MP along with her party leaders tried to pacify the residents, and the police had to intervene.

Earlier, Kangana Ranaut visited disaster-affected areas of Solang and Palchan in Manali subdivision and interacted with the affected people.

Former Mandi MLA Govind Singh Thakur told her that 15 families have been moved to safer places after their houses were declared unsafe owing to torrential rains.

In July, Kangana Ranaut faced local anger in July in her constituency for not responding immediately after the calamity.

She had visited villages in the Nachan Assembly constituency of the Mandi Lok Sabha, where nine people from two families were swept away on the night of July 1.

At that time Kangana Ranaut had made a comment by saying, "I do not have any funds for disaster relief or hold any Cabinet post. The MPs have work that is limited to the Parliament. We are very small in the scheme of things. But, I can help to get disaster funds from the Centre."

Himachal Pradesh is reeling under severe monsoon devastation with 424 confirmed deaths and extensive infrastructure damage across the state from June 20 to September 18 with 45 people missing.

A total of 113 people died in Mandi and Kullu districts during this period, both part of Kangana Ranaut's Mandi constituency.

The BJP MP owns a luxurious cottage amidst an apple orchard in Manali.

Her cottage is located in Bhambla village near Hamirpur town of Himachal Pradesh, nearly 200 km from state capital Shimla.

--IANS

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