New Delhi:

Newly-elected BJP MP and Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut has asked people in her Lok Sabha constituency, Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi, to bring their Aadhaar Cards with them if they want to meet her, drawing Congress’ ire.

Speaking to reporters, Ms Ranaut also said the purpose of their visit will have to be written down on paper so that they don’t face any inconvenience.

“Himachal Pradesh attracts a lot of tourists, so it is necessary to have an Aadhaar card from the Mandi area. Your work related to the constituency should also be written in the letter so that you don’t have to face inconvenience,” she said.

“Tourists come so much that common people face a lot of inconveniences,” she said.

She also said that if people from Himachal’s northern region want to meet her, they can visit her home in Manali, while people in Mandi can visit her office in the city.

“It is better when you meet in person regarding your work,” she added.

Congress Attacks Kangana Ranaut

Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh, who lost to Kangana Ranaut from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, attacked his rival and said if the people want to meet him, they “don’t need to bring the Aadhaar card”.

“We are people’s representatives. So, it is our responsibility to meet people from every section of the state. Whether it is a small task, a big task, a policy matter, or a personal work, it does not require any identity. If a person is coming to a public representative, they are coming for some work,” Mr Singh, who is also the sitting state Public Works Minister, told reporters.

“Asking people to bring their papers for a meeting is not right,” Mr Singh, the son of six times Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh and state Congress chief Pratibha Singh, said.

New Delhi:

After the Lok Sabha got adjourned till Monday and no discussion could be done on the issue of NEET, BJP MP-actor Kangana Ranaut lashed out at the leaders in the opposition and said that their conduct was not appropriate.

“You saw their conduct there. Speaker too rebuked them…But it seems that they (the opposition) are not ready to listen to anyone. We are here for the first time and are flummoxed about what has happened…It didn’t feel good to see them not letting anyone speak. Forgetting the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, they were acting arbitrarily…I don’t think such conduct should be acceptable,” said Kangana Ranaut.

Speaking over the same, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale too slammed the opposition and said that there is no need to create a ruckus as the centre has already initiated action in that regard.

“Dharmendra Pradhan has set up an inquiry and a re-examination has also been scheduled. If they want a discussion over NEET, they should first take part in the discussion over the president’s address. But they are demanding discussion over NEET, avoiding the rules, I think they don’t want the House to function,” he added.

LJP (Ram Vilas) MP Shambhavi Choudhary expressed that the speaker was continuously saying that the opposition could put forth their views on the NEET issue in a motion of thanks, but they were not ready for that. “They had to pass a motion of adjournment. The time of the House was wasted,” he added further.

Notably, for the NEET-UG and UGC-NET exams, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on June 23 registered a criminal case over the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the examination by the NTA and formed special teams to probe the matter.

As per the agency’s FIR, certain “isolated incidents” occurred in a few states during the conduct of the NEET (UG) 2024 examination, which was held on May 5, 2024.

The NEET (UG) 2024 Examination was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 5, 2024, at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 cities abroad, with over 23 lakh candidates appearing for the examination.

An unprecedented 67 candidates achieved a perfect score of 720 marks out of 720, which led to widespread protests in the country.

The Ministry of Education said it has constituted a high-level committee of experts to make recommendations on reforms in the mechanism of the examination process, improvements in data security protocols, and the functioning of the NTA.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The claim

A picture of actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut with a man has gone viral on social media with the claim that the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) leader posed for a photograph with gangster Abu Salem. 

Several users have shared the photo to imply a connection between Ranaut and the 1993 Mumbai blast convict who is currently serving a life sentence. The viral image had an overlaid text in Hindi, which translated to, “Some memorable moments of devotees’ lioness (referring to Ranaut) with the country’s enemy Abu Salem.”  Ranaut is the BJP candidate from the Mandi constituency in the North Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, which goes to polls on June 1, in the seventh and final phase of the Indian general elections. 

An X (formerly Twitter) user sharing the image wrote, “Sister of blind devotees, spending some memorable moments with ‘Abu Salem’… (translated from Hindi).” The post was viewed 57,000 times at the time of writing this story. Archived versions of similar posts can be found here, here, and here.

Screenshot of the claims made online. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, the man in the image is a former journalist, not convicted gangster Abu Salem.

What did we find?

Several news outlets have reported on Kangana Ranaut’s recent clarification on Instagram, stating that her photo with one former journalist Mark Manuel has been shared as her being photographed with gangster Abu Salem.

Taking this clue, we ran a Google Search for ‘Mark Manuel’ and checked his Instagram and Facebook accounts. We found that Manuel is a former editor at The Times of India. He has also worked as a journalist for Mid-Day and has served as a columnist for the Hindustan Times and HuffPost.

Manuel had shared the now-viral image on his official Instagram account (archived here) on September 15, 2017, with the caption, “Kangana Ranaut… love, sex and betrayal. Read it on my Facebook page.” He had also shared the same image on Facebook the same day (archived here). In the caption, Manuel wrote that this picture was taken at “Korner House in Khar some months ago.” “It was at a champagne brunch to celebrate Kangana’s film ‘Simran’ that releases today (sic),” he had written.

Further investigation into his Facebook account revealed that he had shared a post in October 2023 carrying the same image (archived here) along with several other screenshots of some news headlines. We learned that the photo in question had also gone viral in 2023 with the same claim.

In a clarification under the image, Manuel explains that a photo of Kangana Ranaut with him from a 2017 Huffington Post article (archived here) was circulated by many Congress members, claiming she was sitting with gangster Abu Salem. He further stated that Ranaut and her supporters quickly debunked the claim, pointing out that Salem has been incarcerated since 2002.

On October 1, 2023, Ranaut had also clarified on X (archived here) that the individual next to her was not gangster Abu Salem but journalist Mark Manuel. “I don’t believe congress people really think he is the dreaded gangster Abu Salem hanging out with me casually in a mumbai bar. He is ex TOI entertainment editor his name is Mark Manuel (sic),” she wrote.

The collage below includes publicly available photos of Abu Salem and Mark Manuel and Abu Salem and shows that it was the latter who was photographed with Ranaut in the viral photo.

Abu Salem (left), Mark Manuel (center) and the viral image. (Source: The Indian Express/Instagram/ @markmanuel2609/ X)

The verdict

A 2017 photograph of actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut posing with entertainment journalist Mark Manuel has been falsely portrayed as evidence of Ranaut “partying” with the notorious gangster Abu Salem. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.

(This story was originally published by Logically Facts, and republished by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective)

Mandi:

Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Mandi, Kangana Ranaut, expressed her excitement about securing victory in the Lok Sabha elections.

She also hailed the BJP for adhering to strict protocols and fulfilling promises, while criticising other parties for not doing the same.

Kangana Ranaut, who is bidding for a maiden term in the Lok Sabha from her native Mandi, also expressed her excitement at the prospect of winning the MP of the Year award if she gets elected.

“As an actress, I have won various awards, including the Padma Shri and National awards. In the future, if I get elected, I will represent the opinions and problems of the people of Mandi and work effortlessly for them. Since the Lok Sabha conducts various award sessions, in the future, if I receive the Member of Parliament of the Year award, I will be very happy,” said Kangana Ranaut.

While hailing her party, the BJP, she added, “We take ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’ seriously and adhere to stricter guidelines from the party, which also prevent us from making false promises to win elections. I personally believe this level of integrity is not present in other parties.”

Addressing the problems of the people of Mandi, especially apple orchard owners, she added, “Himachal orchards are facing numerous challenges. Some owners advocate for an increase in the number of cold storage facilities, while others call for a rise in import duties. It is essential to address all these issues.”

While speaking to news agency ANI, she also stated that she is working on various film projects, the most recent one being ‘Emergency’.

“Currently, I am involved in several projects. I was shooting a film with R Madhavan Ji but I had to pause due to the elections and will resume post-election. Apart from that, I have 3-4 other films lined up in a row, including the Sita Trilogy and the biopic on Noti Binodini. I have also worked on the movie ‘Emergency,’ which is set to be released soon,” said Kangana Ranaut.

Kangana Ranaut is contesting elections from the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency. Traditionally, this seat has been a stronghold of the ruling Congress in the state. The decision to field Kangana Ranaut from Mandi adds a layer of intrigue to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

In her maiden bid for membership of the Lower House, she faces a formidable challenge in the form of a Congress heavyweight and the son of the late former chief minister Virbhadra Singh, Vikramaditya Singh.

Polling in Himachal, which is scheduled for June 1, will not only elect candidates for Lok Sabha membership from four seats but also elect members for six assembly seats that fell vacant following the resignation and switchover of dissident Congress lawmakers.

The BJP, which won all four Lok Sabha constituencies in the state in the 2019 elections, is eyeing an encore this time.

The Mandi constituency holds symbolic significance for the Congress, as it is considered a bastion of the Virbhadra family. The seat is currently held by Pratibha Devi Singh, the late leader’s widow.

She wrested the seat for the Congress in the bye-election that was held following the demise of then-BJP MP Ram Swaroop Sharma.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A quote which says that Bollywood actor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate “Kangana Ranaut has problems with every actor except Narendra Modi,” has gone viral on social media.

The claim: Those sharing the statement have attributed it to Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah.

An archive of this post can be seen here.

At the time of writing this report, this post had gathered over 6.2 lakh views, 41,000 likes, and more than 6,600 shares.

The Quint also received queries for this quote’s verification on its WhatsApp tipline.

(Archives of more claims on social media can be seen here and here.)

But, Shah did not make this statement.

We found that the quote originated from a parody X account, which does not exist anymore.

Speaking to The Quint for an earlier fact-check, the actor’s wife, actor Ratna Pathak Shah, confirmed that her husband did not have an X account.

How did we find out?: Using the quote as keywords, we looked for information related to the source of the quote.

This led us to several posts from 2021 on Facebook, when the same claim went viral.One of these posts carried a screenshot of an X post, with the username ‘@naseruddin_shah’.

When we looked for this account on X, the platform said that the account did not exist anymore.

Old posts from the account: We looked for archives of the account using Wayback Machine, an internet archiving website.

This led us to some archived posts from 2021, one of which was a post showing support for farmers during the 2020-2021 protests.

In this post, the account’s display name carried the hashtag ‘#parody’, indicating that this was not Shah’s real account.

Misinformation from an imposter account: In 2021, Team WebQoof had gone through this account in a fact-check, when it had gained traction during the farmers’ protests, to check its authenticity.

We had found that the account used to operate with a different username, impersonating Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Rakesh Tikait.

The Quint had also reached out the Shah’s wife, actor Ratna Pathak Shah, who told us that Naseeruddin Shah “does not have any Twitter account.”

Conclusion: A quote about actor Kangana Ranaut and PM Modi from a non-existent account impersonating actor Naseeruddin Shah has gone viral as a statement by Shah.

(This story was originally published by The Quint, and republished by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective.)

Kangana Ranaut is sure. And says so is everybody else about Prime Minister Narendra Modi returning to power for a third straight term.  

“It has not happened in the history of our democracy where polling is underway, votes are yet to be counted, yet everybody knows PM Modi is coming back… Everyone is waiting for him to take oath for the third time, Ms Ranaut, BJP candidate from Mandi, told NDTV on Tuesday.

PM Modi, accompanied by a galaxy of leaders from party and alliance partners, filed his nomination from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh earlier today.

Varanasi will vote in the seventh and final phase of this election – on June 1. In the 2019 poll, PM Modi won by nearly 4.8 lakh votes, a big jump from the 3.72 lakh winning margin five years earlier.

Ms Ranaut, BJP candidate from Mandi, also filed her nomination today. Downplaying her nomination on the same day as the Prime Minister’s, she called it a “small coincidence” and a “good omen” for her.

“There were two good muhurat days, depending on your chart. I was suggested 10 and 14, and I chose 14 because I am number 5. And I  thought I should go with number 5. Luckily, today our PM also filed his nomination. A good coincidence for me. I will say it is my lucky charm.  I am thrilled. Even if it’s a small coincidence, it’s a good omen for me,” said the actor, making her electoral debut.

The Mandi constituency holds symbolic significance for the Congress, as it is considered a bastion of the Virbhadra family.

Ms Ranaut will square off against Congress’ Vikramaditya Singh, the son of late former chief minister Virbhadra Singh.

“I have been fortunate to have a very successful film career. Probably, I am the only one to have come from a rural area and make it so big in the film industry. I am quite optimistic that I learn the job pretty soon and will be able to do something significant,” she said about her priorities.

“Sabka saath, sabka vikas is our agenda. From airport to railways to coonnectivity…going to work on overall development,” she added.

The BJP, which won all four Lok Sabha constituencies in the state in the 2019 elections, is eyeing an encore this time.

Mandi:

Kangana Ranaut, the BJP candidate from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, on Tuesday filed her nominations for the Lok Sabha seat. Accompanied by her mother and sister, the Bollywood actor-turned-politician credited the people of Mandi for her electoral debut.

Kangana said that it was the love of the people of Mandi that had brought her back to her home state, and hoped to make a mark for herself in politics just like she had done in film.

आज मंडी संसदीय क्षेत्र से भारतीय जनता पार्टी के उम्मीदवार के रूप में नामांकन दाखिल किया।

मंडी लोकसभा क्षेत्र की जनता का प्यार और विश्वास देख अभिभूत हूं। मैं आदरणीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी, माननीय राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष श्री @JPNadda जी, माननीय गृहमंत्री श्री @AmitShah जी,… pic.twitter.com/KjbKOUMO4v

— Kangana Ranaut (Modi Ka Parivar) (@KanganaTeam) May 14, 2024

“The people of Mandi and their love for me have brought me here. Women in our country are making a mark in every field but incidents of feticide in Mandi were high a few years ago. Today, the women from Mandi are in the Army, the field of education and politics,” said Kangana.

When asked about Congress, she said “The anti-national mentality of the Congress party is a matter of concern for the country…”

Kangana’s mother Asha Ranaut who accompanied her said, “The public have come here to support Kangana. We will definitely win. She has done a lot of work for the people and will do so in the future too…”

Her sister Rangoli Ranaut who was also present while Kangana filed her nomination said, “I extend my best wishes on this new journey of her. You can witness how the people support her in the crowd…”

After filing her nomination, Kangana said, “Today I have filed nomination from Mandi LS seat. It is a matter of pride for me to have the opportunity to contest from Mandi… I have been successful in Bollywood and I am hopeful that I will get success in the field of politics as well.”

The decision to field Kangana from Mandi, which has traditionally been a stronghold of the ruling Congress in the state, adds a layer of intrigue to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

In her maiden bid for membership of the Lower House, she faces a formidable challenge in the form of Congress heavyweight and the son of late former chief minister Virbhadra Singh, Vikramaditya Singh.

Polling in Himachal, which is scheduled for June 1, will not only pit candidates vying for Lok Sabha membership from four seats but also elect members for six assembly seats that fell vacant following the resignation and switchover of dissident Congress lawmakers.

The BJP, which won all four Lok Sabha constituencies in the state in the 2019 elections, is eyeing an encore this time.

The Mandi constituency holds symbolic significance for the Congress, as it is considered a bastion of the Virbhadra family.

The seat is currently held by Pratibha Devi Singh, the late leader’s widow. She wrested the seat for the Congress in the bye-election that was held following the demise of then-BJP MP Ram Swaroop Sharma.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mandi, Himachal Pradesh:

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Mandi Lok Sabha constituency Kangana Ranaut, who is currently busy in her election campaign said that she is not going to leave the film industry.

In an interview with ANI, she said, “I cannot leave the industry right now as many of my films are pending.”

The BJP has fielded Kangana from Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi in the Lok Sabha elections. The decision of Kangana Ranaut to contest from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, a region with historical political significance, adds a layer of intrigue to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Mandi, known as a stronghold of the Congress party, presents a formidable challenge for Ranaut as she steps into the political arena.

The upcoming polls in Himachal Pradesh, scheduled for June 1, will not only witness the electoral battle for four Lok Sabha seats but also entail the contest for six Assembly seats that fell vacant following the disqualification of Congress MLAs.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), aiming to maintain its dominance in the region, eyes victory once again after securing all four LS seats in 2019.

The anticipation surrounding the election results will culminate in the counting process slated for June 4.

The Mandi constituency, in particular, holds symbolic significance, being considered a bastion of the late former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s family. The seat, currently held by Pratibha Devi Singh, the late leader’s wife, witnessed a bye-election in 2021 following the demise of BJP MP Ram Swaroop Sharma.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Shimla:

Actor Kangana Ranaut, who is the first Bollywood celebrity to contest Lok Sabha elections from Himachal Pradesh, has been maintaining a distance from the media during the campaign but has been welcoming to common voters: dancing with them at times, interacting in their dialects and obliging to their selfie requests.

She has so far been concentrating on small gatherings and roadshows, where people first try to get a glimpse of her from close quarters and then potentially get clicked with the “Queen” star.

Selfies and group photos with the actor, who has been fielded by the BJP from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, are in vogue as it is the first time a celebrity is contesting elections in Himachal Pradesh.

Videos of Ms Ranaut, who hails from Mandi, dancing with local women and sweeping temple premises during her campaign have gone viral.

To forge an instant connect, she often interacts with her prospective voters in their dialects and emphasises that she is a daughter of Mandi.

मंडी की मेरी माताओं-बहनों का इस प्यारे गीत के लिए बहुत-बहुत आभार।

आप सभी का ये प्यार ही 400 पार की गारंटी है। pic.twitter.com/btzV2DUEkt

— Kangana Ranaut (Modi Ka Parivar) (@KanganaTeam) May 4, 2024

Known for her unfiltered remarks, Ms Ranaut has given some media bites but not yet offered them an interaction involving questions and answers.

BJP leaders say her typical campaign day starts with paying obeisance at the temples of local deities. She focuses on the women voters, who comprise about 49 percent of the total voters of the state, and the youth.

She has said she would ensure women and men are “equal in all spheres”.

Ms Ranaut, who often voiced pro-BJP opinions even before she joined the party and was fielded from Mandi, bashes Congress leaders for their alleged anti-women remarks and talks derisively about dynastic politics.

Himachal Pradesh’s Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh, a scion of the erstwhile Rampur estate, is her challenger from the Mandi Parliament seat. He is the son of six-time chief minister late Virbhadra Singh and the current state Congress president Pratibha Singh.

Ms Ranaut often uses the term “Shezada” to attack Vikramaditya Singh and takes digs at him by repeatedly asserting that, unlike him, she is not in politics because of her father or mother.

She has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an “ansh” of Lord Ram and Vishnu and claims that she would work like people’s postwoman, taking their issues and problems to New Delhi.

But some people, like Mahesh who is a senior citizen from Sundernagar, feel that Ms Ranaut’s personal attacks and snide remarks against her rivals might not go down well with voters in Himachal Pradesh even though they might be getting cheers from the crowd.

“Such kinds of politics and insulting remarks do not resonate with people in Dev Bhoomi Himachal,” Mahesh said.

The Mandi Parliament seat comprises 17 assembly seats, eight are reserved for Schedule Tribe and Schedule caste.

These seats include Chamba district’s three tribal assembly constituencies — Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti and Bharmour; Kullu district’s all four assembly segments — Kullu, Manali, Banjar and Anni; Mandi district’s nine assembly constituencies — Sundernagar, Balh, Mandi, Darang, Jogindernagar, Nachan, Seraj, Karsog and Sarkaghat; and Rampur in Shimla district.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut intended to target an opposition leader but mistakenly ended up attacking her BJP colleague instead. A similarity in names – Tejashwi and Tejasvi – was behind Ms Ranaut’s fumble. “There’s a party of spoilt princes… whether it’s Rahul Gandhi who wants to grow potatoes on the Moon, or Tejasvi Surya who does hooliganism and eats fish,” she had said.

RJD leader and former Bihar deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav was supposed to be the original target of her diatribe as one of his videos where he was seen eating fish became a major flashpoint between the BJP and the opposition recently.

Tejasvi Surya, incorrectly referred to by Ms Ranaut during an election rally yesterday, is BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate from Bengaluru South constituency in Karnataka.

Meanwhile, Mr Yadav has responded to a clip of Kangana Ranaut’s statement. “Ye mohtarma kaun hai?” (Who is this lady?), he posted on X.

ये मोहतरमा कौन है? https://t.co/RvTfHjm26I

— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) May 4, 2024

Kangana Ranaut has been verbally bashing the Congress party since the BJP fielded her as their Lok Sabha candidate from Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi. Congress leaders Vikramaditya Singh – her opponent in Mandi – and Rahul Gandhi have been the main targets on her dartboard.

While addressing a public rally in the Sundernagar area of Mandi Parliamentary Constituency yesterday, Ms Ranaut took a jibe at Mr Singh and Mr Gandhi over dynasty politics and said that both of them have a magic stick for development and talk only about non-practical things.

The Congress hit back saying the 37-year-old actor should first check the facts about her party leaders and speak about dynastic politics. National Media Coordinator for the Congress, Amrit Kaur, also questioned her qualifications on which she got a BJP ticket from Mandi.

The Mandi Lok Sabha constituency will go to polls on June 1, in the seventh phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.