Days after being reportedly slapped by a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable at Chandigarh airport, newly elected MP Kangana Ranaut has found an unexpected supporter in actor Shabana Azmi. Speaking out against the incident, Azmi emphasized that security personnel must not take the law into their own hands.

"I have no love lost for Kangana Ranaut. But I can't find myself joining this chorus of celebrating 'the slap'. If security personnel start taking law into their hands, none of us can be safe," Azmi posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Ranaut, who recently won the Lok Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh's Mandi, was preparing to board a flight to Delhi when the incident occurred. Viral mobile footage shows Ranaut being escorted to a check-in counter where a verbal altercation ensued, although the video does not capture the moment of the alleged slap.

Ranaut addressed the incident in a video statement, expressing concerns over increasing terrorism in Punjab. "I am safe. I am perfectly fine. The incident happened at the security check-in. The woman guard waited for me to cross. She then came from the side and hit me. She started throwing expletives. I asked 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?" Ranaut said.

The constable, identified as Kulwinder Kaur, admitted to slapping Ranaut, claiming it was in response to the actor's previous derogatory remarks about farmers. "She (Kangana Ranaut) said the 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 stated.

Following the incident, Kaur has been suspended and an FIR has been registered against her.

The controversy stems from Ranaut's December 2020 comment on X, where she suggested that an elderly woman seen at a protest could be hired for ₹100, implying that she was a paid protester.