Kangana Ranaut challenges Congress over Himachal Pradesh crisis handling

After the Congress accused Kangana of ignoring her constituency, Lok Sabha MP from Mandi, Kangana Ranaut, on Monday hit out and said that they have failed the people of Himachal Pradesh.

Ranaut visited the disaster-hit Pangloor village of Sainj panchayat in the Gohar area of Nachan assembly segment in Mandi district, where nine members of two families were washed away.

She said people across the state were unhappy with the Congress government and felt "miserable".

Citing climate change as a growing threat to the region, Ranaut called for surveys of river beds and relocation of people living in disaster-prone areas.

Fourteen people have died, five were injured, and 28 are still missing after cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides caused massive destruction in Mandi district last Tuesday.

Ranaut was accompanied by BJP state president Rajiv Bindal and local MLA Vinod Kumar. The leaders met the affected families and took stock of the damage.

Speaking to PTI Videos, Ranaut said, "Congress leaders are quoting me out of context and blaming me for everything, when it is the duty of the state government to provide relief to the victims." "I was the first to reach Thunag on Sunday after the road was cleared," she said.

"If they continue to use my name, it will only make me more popular here. They are implying that only I can fix everything — which is both wrong and shameful," she added.

Asked about Congress leaders accusing her of being absent and unbothered, Ranaut said she does not need lectures from those who have failed Himachal on all fronts.

"When reporters asked me yesterday, 'When are you rebuilding Himachal?' I replied that I don't have agencies or a cabinet. This is not my assignment," she said.

On Sunday, Ranaut stated that relief and restoration work is the responsibility of the state government. "As an MP, I can only apprise the prime minister and the home minister of the situation and request central assistance," she said.

"We act as a link between the Centre and the state, and raise constituency issues with the Union government. I don’t have a cabinet or bureaucracy — I can only review the situation with deputy commissioners and provide feedback," she added.

Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh, who contested against Ranaut in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, had commented, "You do not need a chair to help people. Cabinet or no cabinet, strong willpower is necessary." During her visit to Thunag on Sunday, Ranaut had said the way relief work is being handled, the Congress would not return to power in the state "for the next 20 years".

Thunag subdivision falls under the Seraj assembly constituency, represented by former chief minister and leader of opposition Jai Ram Thakur.

Ranaut's visit followed criticism from the Congress over her absence from her Lok Sabha constituency and a controversial remark by Jai Ram Thakur, who had called the Congress government "unconcerned".

As per official figures, 225 houses, seven shops, 243 cattle sheds, 31 vehicles, 14 bridges, and several roads have been damaged in the disaster. A total of 215 cattle perished and 494 people were rescued.