An Indian actor running for election as a candidate for the ruling party has been forced to deny eating beef. Kangana Ranaut, a vocal supporter of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said the claims by her opponents are “shameful” and “baseless rumours”. The issue of beef consumption is highly sensitive in India as cows are considered sacred by Hindus, the country’s largest religious group.
Ranaut, an award-winning Bollywood star who has featured in some of India’s highest grossing films, responded after an opposition politician claimed she had previously eaten beef.
Several social media users shared screengrabs of what they said were old posts from Ranaut’s account as supposed proof of that claim. The allegation is potentially damaging for the actor, who is seeking to make her formal entrance into politics in the coming weeks as a BJP candidate in northern Himachal Pradesh state.
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, she said: “I don’t consume beef or any other kind of red meat, it is shameful that completely baseless rumours are being spread about me, I have been advocating and promoting yogic and Ayurvedic way of life for decades now such tactics won’t work to tarnish my image.
“My people know me and they know that I am a proud Hindu and nothing can ever mislead them.” Renaut, 37, signed off her post with the phrase “Jai Shri Ram”, a proclamation of the Hindu faith.
Credit: bbc.com
