Kangana Ranaut on way to Mandi to visit rain-ravaged areas

BJP's Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut on Saturday was on her way to the flash floods- and landslide-hit areas of the Himachal Pradesh district, a day after the Congress took potshots that the state party leadership was riled by her absence.

As many as 14 people have died and search is on for 31 missing people, as cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides caused massive destruction in Mandi district on Tuesday.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda, when asked during a press conference on Saturday about Ranaut's absence from her constituency during the tragedy, said that she will visit Mandi soon.

The actor-turned-politician also wrote in an X post on Friday, "I am on my way to Himachal Pradesh, I will be visiting the affected areas soon. Please be rest assured that I stand with Himachal Pradesh in every situation."

The post followed the ruling Congress' dig at the BJP over Ranaut's comment that she has not visited the cloudburst-affected areas of Mandi on the "advice" of state party leader and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur.

In an earlier X post on Friday, Ranaut had said, "It is heartbreaking to see massive flood devastation in Himachal almost every year now. I tried reaching the flood-affected areas in Seraj and other areas in Mandi, but was advised by the respected Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur to wait until the connectivity to the affected areas is restored."

On Thursday, Thakur had parried questions about the MP's absence from the calamity-hit region, saying, "We are concerned about the locals, we live and die for them. Cannot comment on those who are not."

"Red alert is issued by Mandi DC today as well. Awaiting authorities' approval on the same; will be there as soonest possible," Ranaut had said after Thakur's comments.

Latching on to the remark, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday jibed that Ranaut should speak to Thakur as the leader of the opposition was "getting angry".