Kangana Ranaut defended her "Generation Gutter" remarks, clarifying they targeted a specific segment of youth involved in destructive behaviours rather than all young Indians.
The controversy erupted after Ranaut posted Instagram stories criticising student protesters from the Cockroach Janta Party demonstrating against the NEET-UG paper leak at Jantar Mantar.
Ranaut argued that addressing issues like drug addiction, betting, and dark web usage among some youth does not equate to a blanket statement about an entire generation.
BJP MP and actor Kangana Ranaut defended her controversial "Generation Gutter" comments. She argued that her statements targeted only a specific group of individuals instead of the entire country's youth.
The defence follows widespread backlash across the country. Opposition politicians, social media users and public figures condemned the initial statements. Actor Sonu Sood, AIMIM leader Waris Pathan and Congress politician Bhai Jagtap were among those who criticised the MP.
Kangana Ranaut defends Gen Gutter remarks
In an interview with ANI, Ranaut denied targeting all young people. She said she was referring only to "some people or some women" involved in destructive behaviours. "Those who call themselves cockroaches, and we say that cockroaches emerge from gutters, what is wrong with that? If people label themselves as cockroaches and we say the gutter is their home, why should they be offended?" she told the news agency.
"I certainly don’t consider myself a cockroach. If someone were to say I live in a gutter, I would deny it. But if someone claims to be a cockroach, then naturally, they would live in a gutter. Where else?"
She added that referencing specific issues does not equate to an attack on the entire generation. "If some young people use drugs, or if we discuss the current trend of addiction involving drugs, betting, gambling, or the dark web, addressing a specific segment of the youth doesn’t mean I was making a blanket statement about everyone. Did I say that all youth belong to the gutter?", added the National Award winner.
Origins of the controversy
Massive student protests triggered the dispute. In late July, thousands of students representing the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar to oppose the suspected NEET-UG paper leak. Clashes escalated when police cracked down on the July 20 Chalo Sansad march. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on July 25 after the administration accepted several demands, prompting the CJP to call off its strike the same day.
Ranaut took to Instagram after the demonstrations. She coined the phrase "Generation Gutter" to attack specific groups, particularly "young Hindu women" whom she accused of mimicking self-reliant professionals without taking responsibility. These individuals were "not good at studies" and failed as homemakers while boasting of their "freedom to have drugs, drinks or endless body counts" using parental money, Ranaut added.
"Never in my life have I seen so much ugliness in one place. These reels from Gen Z protests are puke-inducing. The way they speak and the kind of language they are using, never in my life have I seen everything in each and every frame so jarring and so crass all at once," Ranaut wrote on an Instagram story.
She also directly attacked CJP supporters. "You call yourself cockroaches and look and behave like them as well. There is no paradox or juxtaposition there, just simply subjecting the world to your filth, garbage and ugliness," she wrote.
