Days after triggering outrage by branding Gen Z as the “gutter generation”, BJP MP and actor Kangana Ranaut on Friday appeared to walk back her sweeping remarks, saying the generation is “our power” and a source of pride for the country, and should not be judged by the actions of a handful of people.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, the Mandi MP dismissed attempts to paint an entire generation with the same brush, saying only “10-15 people” were abusing or misrepresenting the whole generation, while the larger section of Gen Z continued to contribute positively to the country.
“Gen Z is a part of the government. It is their mandate, which our government has been fulfilling for so many years. Gen Z are great. It’s not like the 10-15 people who are abusing Gen Z are Gen Z,” she said.
Ranaut went on to defend the generation, saying Gen Z’s contribution extended far beyond viral social media clips and pointing to what she described as positive examples of youth participation across the country. She particularly highlighted students protesting in Jharkhand, saying, “the kids sitting in Jharkhand are protesting so well.”
Ranaut also pointed to athletes who had “brought medals for the country”, saying they had dedicated their medals to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
But Ranaut did not stop at praise. She also put the generation to the test, asking whether young people would turn up for causes such as Environment Day campaigns or supporting handloom weavers.
She argued that such participation, not social media controversies, should define the generation. “There are only a handful of people abusing Gen Z. Gen Z is our power and we are proud of Gen Z,” Ranaut said.
The remarks mark a sharp departure from her stance just 10 days ago, when she posted a series of controversial Instagram stories criticising student protesters linked to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which led demonstrations over the NEET-UG paper leak and examination irregularities.
She also accused them of glorifying drugs, alcohol and casual relationships while living off their parents’ earnings.
In an Instagram story posted on July 27, Ranaut had targeted “young Hindu women” and referred to them as “gutter generation.” She claimed some sought to imitate independent, career-oriented women without taking responsibility, describing them as “so-called westernised Indian women” who were “neither good at studies nor homemakers”.
In multiple posts, the BJP MP described videos from the protests as “puke-inducing”, accused demonstrators of damaging public property, and mocked the group’s name and cockroach imagery.
“You call yourself cockroaches and look and behave like them as well,” she wrote, alleging that the protesters were spreading “filth, garbage and ugliness”.
The posts triggered strong political backlash, with Opposition leaders accusing the BJP MP of insulting an entire generation. Congress leader Bhai Jagtap questioned why Ranaut showed no empathy towards students who were mistreated during the protests.
AIMIM leader Waris Pathan also condemned her comments as “highly condemnable”, demanded an apology to Gen Z and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take note of the language used by the BJP parliamentarian.
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