The recent student-led protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and several other cities have generated widespread debate over the tone of the demonstrations, with posters, placards, slogans and social media memes ranging from witty and creative to, at times, profane.
Joining the debate, actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut criticised the language used by the protesters but soon found herself at the centre of a controversy over her own remarks, which many have described as offensive and inflammatory.
In a series of social media posts, Ranaut described the protesters’ language and Instagram content as “puke-inducing,” saying she had “never seen so much ugliness in one place.” She questioned the upbringing of the demonstrators, writing, “Who is birthing and raising them?”
Referring to protesters who had called themselves “cockroaches,” Ranaut said there was “no paradox” between the label and their behaviour, adding that their conduct reflected “filth, garbage and ugliness.” She claimed the videos had left her “scarred” and in need of a “digital detox.”
Her most controversial comments were directed at young women participating in the protests. Describing them as “so-called westernised Indian women,” Ranaut alleged they were “corrupt” and “can’t even be homemakers.” She further accused them of glorifying drugs, alcohol and financial dependence on their parents before branding the group “Generation Gutter.”
Her remarks:” “Never in my life I have 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 I have seen everything in each and every frame so jarring and so crass all at once, ewww who is birthing and raising them? India is a place of diversely beautiful people, draped in elegance and rooted in cultural sophistication, you call yourself cockroaches and look/behave like them as well there is no paradox or juxtaposition there, just simply subjecting the world to your filth, garbage and ugliness. I am scarred from these reels, I need some healing, digital detox ” triggered sharp political reactions. Congress leader Bhai Jagtap questioned Ranaut’s lack of empathy towards students who were allegedly assaulted during the protests, asking whether she felt any remorse over the treatment they received.
AIMIM leader Waris Pathan also condemned her comments, calling them unacceptable and urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take note of the language used by one of his party’s MPs. He further demanded that Ranaut apologise to Gen Z protesters.
This is not the first time Ranaut has criticised the ongoing protests. Earlier, she had questioned the methods adopted by the demonstrators and criticised attempts to pressure the government through street protests. 
