Actress and politician Kangana Ranaut has hit back sharply at Rakhi Sawant after the latter made derogatory remarks about her on a podcast, with Kangana posting a pointed rebuttal on Instagram Stories on Monday, dismissing Sawant's credibility in blunt terms. The exchange has reignited a long-running public feud between the two entertainers.

What Kangana Said

Sharing a screenshot of a report covering Rakhi's remarks, Kangana penned a lengthy note. She wrote: 'Not just her but most successful and bitter people are quick to character lynch a successful women to satisfy and justify their jealousy/envy, failures and ego but high time we stop being vulnerable to such frequent, intensional attacks and public character assassination, we must stop feeling humiliated and hurt and stop over explaining ourselves.'

She went further, writing: 'So yes my loves!! Even you are ready to do everything for success but guess what!! unfortunately no one needs anything from you, remember all your favours combined never got you even a sweeper's job even that needs some quality and talent so be rest assured favours or no favours you aren't going anywhere, so sit down watch my reels and you keep crying (sic).'

What Sparked the Row

Rakhi Sawant had reportedly made sexual innuendo-laden remarks during a podcast appearance, implying that both Kangana Ranaut and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Smriti Irani had a compromised past that facilitated their political rise. The remarks triggered widespread outrage, with critics calling them deeply offensive and defamatory.

A Pattern of Exchanges

This is not the first time Rakhi Sawant has directed personal attacks at Kangana. During the controversy surrounding the CJP protests, Sawant had publicly called Kangana a 'chudail' and a 'gutter mouth', responding to Kangana's comments targeting Gen Z demonstrators. The cycle of public attacks and counter-responses has made their rivalry a recurring flashpoint on social media.

Broader Context

Kangana Ranaut, who represents the Mandi constituency in Himachal Pradesh as a BJP Member of Parliament, has consistently positioned herself as someone who does not shy away from public confrontations. Notably, Rakhi Sawant's remarks also drew attention because they extended beyond Kangana to implicate another sitting politician, raising questions about whether legal action could follow.

As of now, neither Smriti Irani nor any BJP spokesperson has issued an official response to Rakhi's original podcast remarks. Whether the episode escalates into a formal legal dispute remains to be seen.