New Delhi: BJP MP and actor Kangana Ranaut has sought to clarify her controversial remarks on the youth protests in Delhi, insisting that her criticism was aimed at a specific group of demonstrators rather than the entire younger generation. Her comments, in which she had labelled protesters celebrating freedom without responsibility as 'Generation Gutter', had drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties and others.
In a video shared on her Instagram Story, Ranaut argued that the gathering at Jantar Mantar included around 10,000 people, with more than half being older participants from different age groups. She claimed only about 2,000 were Gen Z protesters and questioned why the entire youth population was being associated with the demonstrations as a 'Gen-Z protest'.
Ranaut maintained that she was not speaking against young people, pointing to her own age, and said her remarks were directed only at the particular section present at the protest. She challenged critics to show where she had attacked an entire generation and accused them of creating an unnecessary agenda around her comments.
The protests had also featured prominent figures, including veteran actor Shabana Azmi and actor Prakash Raj. Azmi had shared images from the July 20 march from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament, including visuals of her travelling on a truck and crossing barricades.
Ranaut had earlier criticised reels and the language used by protesters before describing them as 'Generation Gutter'. Her subsequent remarks, including another sharp reference to people emerging from gutters, further intensified the backlash. Her latest clarification has now reopened debate across political circles and social media over both the protests and the language used to describe their participants.