'Go back Kangana, you are late': Anguished flood victims lash out at Mandi MP

Shimla: Slogans of 'Go back Kangana, you are late' rent the air on Thursday when the Bollywood actor and BJP MP from Mandi, Kangana, visited a rain-affected area in Himachal Pradesh's Manali.

Videos of locals expressing their resentment against Kangana Ranaut's visit to Patlikuhal area of Manali in Himachal's Kullu district went viral on the internet. In the video, local people holding black flags, shouting slogans are seen near the carcade of the actor-politician.

Heated arguments were also witnessed when BJP leaders and others accompanying Kangana tried to pacify the residents, and police had to intervene to restore peace.

Heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods at several places in Kullu and Manali on August 25 and August 26, with strong currents of the Beas river washing away a multi-storey hotel and four shops.

Stretches of Chandigarh-Manali National Highway and Manali-Leh Highway were washed away due to the rising water level of Beas River. Right Bank Road of Manali connecting Kullu city, bus stand and Bindu Dhank also suffered extensive damage.

A house was damaged in Ramshele area in Kullu, water entered houses in the 14 Mile area near Manali and a fish farm was damaged in Patlikuhal as rivers and drains were in spate.

Earlier in the day, Kangana visited the disaster-affected areas of Solang and Palchan in Manali subdivision, interacted with the affected people and took stock of the situation.

She was briefed about the infrastructural and other losses by BJP leader and former MLA from Manali, Govind Singh Thakur, and residents. Singh said that families of 15-16 endangered houses have been shifted to safer places.

They informed the MP that the whole Solang village is on the verge of sliding as the Beas River is cutting the mountain on which the village is located. Diverting the course of the river by channelising the water is the remedy, they said.