NDTV spoke to Kangana Ranaut who is visiting cloudburst-hit areas in Mandi
- BJP MP Kangana Ranaut urges unity and opposes division by language in India
- MNS workers assaulted a shopkeeper for not speaking Marathi in Maharashtra
- Kangana Ranaut visited Siraj Valley in Mandi after a deadly cloudburst disaster
Amid the language debate in Maharashtra, BJP MP and actor Kangana Ranaut has said the country's unity must be preserved and people should not be divided in the name of language.
The MP from Himachal Pradesh's Mandi, who had relocated to Mumbai in the early 2000s to pursue her acting career, spoke to NDTV in the aftermath of the massive row over Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers assaulting a shopkeeper for not speaking Marathi.
"We must stay away from anything that divides our country. People in our country try to connect with each other in different ways. Such actions disrupt their efforts. So many people come here for tourism, they want to know how Paharis speak. When we travel, we want to know how people in the South speak. We must preserve the spirit of unity in the country. People should not be divided in the name of language," she said, replying to a question on the Hindi vs Marathi row in Mumbai.
Ms Ranaut has visited Siraj Valley in Mandi to express condolences to families affected by the recent cloudburst. Ten people have been killed and 24 are missing in Thunag, one of the worst-hit areas. Since the onset of the Monsoon this year, 74 people have died in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh so far. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has directed the district administration to conduct relief and rescue operations on a war footing.
Ms Ranaut has questioned the state government's response and said the Centre's action is visible on the ground. "Our entire team, from NDRF to the Army, is engaged in rescue operations. I was monitoring the situation throughout the night. Many lives have been lost, and some people are still missing. The damage is extensive, but our teams are working tirelessly," she said.
Targeting the Congress government in the state, she said, "The Centre's efforts are visible, but the state government is missing in action."
