Representative image. Photo: Photo: Sadhguru, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Kangana Ranaut’s ‘generation gutter’ jibe sparks backlash
Kangana Ranaut’s ‘generation gutter’ jibe at Gen Z protesters has sparked backlash and a sharp CJP response.
Actress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut’s description of Gen Z protesters as “generation gutter” has sparked backlash and a sharp response from the CJP.
In Instagram Stories posted on Monday, Ranaut targeted demonstrators at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, writing, “You call yourself cockroaches and look/behave like them as well,” and accusing them of “filth, garbage and ugliness.”
The remarks were aimed at protesters linked to the Cockroach Janta Party, whose nationwide agitation over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak had led to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
CJP spokesperson Saurav Das dismissed the comments on Tuesday, saying, “Even people within Kangana Ranaut’s own party don’t pay much attention to her or take her seriously, so why should we?”
Das said Ranaut lacked seriousness as a politician, pointing to her own admission that she had underestimated the workload of being an MP.
He added that Gen Z had contributed more to the nation than Ranaut and had helped strengthen India’s democratic institutions through its activism.
CJP representatives said public officials should maintain dignity and be careful with their language, adding that younger generations were not taking Ranaut’s views seriously.
Ranaut, who represents Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, has also drawn criticism from Congress and AIMIM leaders since her remarks began circulating online.
AIMIM leader Waris Pathan called the remarks “highly condemnable,” demanding an apology to Gen Z and saying “PM Modi should take cognisance of the kind of language his MPs use for Gen Z.” Congress’s Bhai Jagtap questioned Ranaut’s lack of remorse over the treatment of protesting students, while Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat said “no one takes Kangana Ranaut seriously.”
Kangana Ranaut, a National Award-winning actress, has represented Mandi in Himachal Pradesh as a BJP Member of Parliament since 2024, alongside her continuing film career.
The exchange has drawn wide attention online, with Ranaut’s remarks and the CJP’s response both trending across social media platforms in the days since.
(Image: Photo: Sadhguru, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0)