BJP MP and actress Kangana Ranaut’s jibe describing Gen Z protesters as “generation gutter” has triggered 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 directed at protesters affiliated with 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 responded 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, citing her own admission that she had underestimated the workload of being an MP.
He argued that Gen Z had contributed more to the nation than Ranaut and had helped strengthen India’s democratic institutions.
CJP representatives said elected officials should maintain dignity and be mindful of 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” and demanded an apology to Gen Z, adding that “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.”
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.
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.
(Image: Photo: Sadhguru, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0)
