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Mandi BJP candidate Kangana Ranaut encountered protests from local residents during her campaign in Kaza, the district headquarters of Lahaul-Spiti, on Monday. As she addressed a rally, protesters showed black flags and shouted slogans demanding she leave. The protest stemmed from an offensive social media post Ranaut shared last year, featuring a photoshopped image of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama with US President Joe Biden. Despite her apology, residents, many of whom follow Buddhism, remained upset.

The situation became tense when Ranaut's motorcade passed the protesters, leading to a confrontation between BJP and Congress supporters. The BJP accused Congress of orchestrating the protest, which resulted in some BJP workers getting injured. The protest had been planned by locals, but more people joined, escalating the conflict. Ranaut had to cut her speech short due to the rising tension.

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Jairam Thakur blames Congress

Former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, who was with Ranaut, criticized the local election authorities for allowing a Congress rally at the same venue. Thakur claimed that Congress supporters disrupted their rally and attacked their convoy, injuring a BJP worker. He condemned the incident, accusing Congress of being fearful and creating chaos. Thakur stated they would report the matter to the Election Commission, arguing that there was no justification for permitting the Congress rally at the same location.

During her speech, Ranaut emphasized the importance of making India self-reliant and criticized the INDIA bloc, calling it an alliance focused on corruption. She praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership over the past decade and urged people to vote for the BJP again.

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The incident highlights the increasing tensions and conflicts between political parties as the election approaches, with both sides accusing each other of misconduct and attempting to undermine the other's campaign efforts.