Indian actress and member of parliament Kangana Ranaut has sparked controversy after referring to members of Generation Z as the “Gutter Generation” in response to recent student protests in New Delhi.
The controversy emerged after the student organisation Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) staged demonstrations over allegations of examination paper leaks. Reports said police used batons and tear gas during the protests, while India’s education minister later stepped down from office.
In a series of posts on Instagram, Ranaut strongly criticised the language, behaviour and social media content associated with the demonstrations, saying she had never witnessed such “ugliness” in one place.
The actress wrote that the videos left her feeling deeply disturbed and criticised the way the protesters communicated and presented themselves.
Ranaut also questioned the upbringing of the demonstrators and argued that their conduct reflected broader social concerns.
She further wrote that because the protesters refer to themselves as “cockroaches”, she saw no contradiction between the name and their behaviour. According to her, the videos were so disturbing that she felt the need for a period of “digital detox”.
The actress also claimed that some members of the younger generation had little to contribute to society and said this was why she referred to them as the “Gutter Generation”.
The Cockroach Janta Party has not yet issued an official response to her remarks.
