Senior BJP leader Varun Gandhi slams Kangana Ranaut for insulting freedom fighters
Ranaut is under fire for her remarks saying India got real freedom in 2014
New Delhi: Senior BJP leader and Member of Parliament Varun Gandhi on Thursday hit out at Bollywood Actress Kangana Ranaut over a viral video clip of her from Times Now Summit.
Kangana in the video is seen speaking disrespectfully about the Indian freedom movement. The clip has been doing rounds across social media platforms and the netizens have slammed the actress for her remarks.
In the video, Kangana says “The freedom we got was not freedom but it was alms and charity. We attained real freedom in 2014,” signifying the rise of PM Modi led BJP government in the Centre in 2014.
Speaking about the freedom fighters, Kangana said “They knew it and they paid a price. Of course, it was not freedom but it was Bheek (alms/charity). We attained true freedom in 2014.”
Several activists and journalists slammed Kangana for disrespecting freedom fighters. Users also slammed the host of the summit Navika Kumar for not stopping Kangana. Navika is seen saying “That is why people call you are Bhagva,” in an appreciative tone.
Senior BJP leader Varun Gandhi also took to his Twitter handle and slammed the actress. In a Hindi tweet, he wrote “Sometimes an insult to the sacrifice and penance of Mahatma Gandhi, sometimes the respect of his killer, and now the disdain for the sacrifices of millions of freedom fighters from Shaheed Mangal Pandey to Rani Laxmibai, Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and more. Should I call this thinking madness or treason?”
कभी महात्मा गांधी जी के त्याग और तपस्या का अपमान, कभी उनके हत्यारे का सम्मान, और अब शहीद मंगल पाण्डेय से लेकर रानी लक्ष्मीबाई, भगत सिंह, चंद्रशेखर आज़ाद, नेताजी सुभाष चंद्र बोस और लाखों स्वतंत्रता सेनानियों की कुर्बानियों का तिरस्कार।
— Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) November 11, 2021
इस सोच को मैं पागलपन कहूँ या फिर देशद्रोह? pic.twitter.com/Gxb3xXMi2Z
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
