'Can lose thousands of jobs for mother's respect': Suspended CISF official who slapped Kangana Ranaut

In a post on X, Kaur said: "I am not afraid of losing this job... I am ready to lose thousands of such jobs for my mother's respect."

Kaur allegedly slapped Ranaut, who won Himachal Pradesh's Mandi seat, at Chandigarh airport Thursday, while the actor-turned-politician was waiting to board a Delhi flight, and accused her of "disrespecting farmers".

Within hours she was suspended and an inquiry was ordered.

On Friday morning, Kaur, a CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) Constable, was arrested. She was booked under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 341 (wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Kulwinder Kaur Thursday said she was triggered by an old remark by the actor-turned-politician about the farmers' protest.

"She gave a statement... that farmers are sitting there for ₹ 100. Will she go and sit there? My mother was sitting there and protesting when she gave this statement..." Kaur was quoted as saying in media reports.

She said she had reacted to Kangana Ranaut - who won Himachal Pradesh's Mandi seat and was going to Delhi - of "disrespecting farmers".

After reaching Delhi. Kangana had raged about "terrorism rising in Punjab".

"The incident happened at the security check-in. The woman guard waited for me to cross. She then came and hit me... started throwing expletives. I asked (her) why she hit me. She said, 'I support farmers'. I am safe... but my concern is terrorism is rising in Punjab. How do we handle that?" she said in her message.

Kangna alleged that a CISF security official at Chandigarh Airport slapped her when she was proceeding to board the flight to reach New Delhi.

"I am safe," she later said, adding that one should take it seriously for the rise in terror and violence in Punjab.

Viral mobile video footage shows Kangana escorted to a check-in counter and, when she reaches it, a verbal spat breaks out. The video does not show her being slapped.

Kaur was referring to a crude and widely criticised jibe by Kangana which she posted on X in 2020 during the height of a nationwide protest by farmers against three farm laws passed, under contentious circumstances, by the Centre.

In a social media post, the actor had tweeted about an elderly woman seen at one of the protests and said she was "available for Rs. 100". She was forced to delete the tweet after public outrage.

Earlier in the day some farmer groups - including the non-political wing of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, the umbrella organisation that led the 2020/21 farmers' protest expressed support for Kaur and called for an investigation.

"We demand a proper investigation... there should be no injustice with the woman constable," Jagjit Singh Dallewal, the SKM (non-political) leader said, citing unconfirmed reports Ms Kaur had asked to examine the actor-politician's handbag and mobile phone before boarding her flight to Delhi.

"Everyone knows the track record of Ranaut and the kind of language she has used towards farmers. There must have been an argument which led to the incident. A proper investigation is needed."