Actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut has once again defended her controversial remarks about the Gen Z-led protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, arguing that the demonstrations should not be described as a protest representing India’s entire younger generation.
In a video shared on Instagram Stories, Kangana claimed that around 10,000 people had gathered at Jantar Mantar and alleged that more than half of them belonged to an older age group. Referring to veteran actor Shabana Azmi, who joined the protesters, Kangana described many of the demonstrators as being “Shabana Azmi-type people”. She questioned how the gathering could therefore be characterised as a nationwide Gen Z protest.
Kangana said India’s Gen Z population is estimated to be around 30-35 crore and argued that the number of young people present at Jantar Mantar represented only a fraction of that population. According to her estimate, around 2,000 Gen Z protesters were present at the demonstration.
“So how is it a Gen Z protest?” Kangana asked, arguing that the presence of people from different age groups meant the protests could not be used to claim that India’s entire Gen Z population was participating.
Her latest comments are part of Kangana’s continuing effort to clarify remarks that triggered widespread backlash last month. The actor had earlier criticised videos from the protests, describing some of the participants as “Generation Gutter” and accusing them of using crude language and behaving irresponsibly. Her comments were criticised by opposition leaders, activists and several members of the entertainment industry.
Kangana has since repeatedly insisted that she was not referring to an entire generation. In her latest video, she challenged critics to produce a specific quote in which she had supposedly described all of Gen Z in derogatory terms.
“I am not against the youth because I am one of them,” she said, maintaining that her criticism was directed specifically at the people who had gathered at Jantar Mantar and not at young Indians as a whole.
The BJP MP had also offered a similar clarification in an interview with news agency ANI, saying her “Generation Gutter” remark was aimed at specific individuals or women rather than the entire youth population. She argued that her reference to “cockroaches” was connected to people who had allegedly used that term for themselves during the protests.
Shabana Azmi’s participation in the protests has now become a central part of Kangana’s argument. The veteran actor, 75, joined thousands of demonstrators during a march towards Parliament on July 20. Images and videos showed Azmi travelling in a truck and crossing barricades alongside protesters. She also shared a photograph with actor Prakash Raj during the demonstration.
The presence of Azmi and other older participants highlights the generational diversity of the protest, although Kangana’s estimate of the age composition of the crowd remains her own assessment. Her comments have nevertheless added another dimension to the debate over whether the demonstrations should be described primarily as a Gen Z movement.
The protests have become a major point of political and cultural discussion, with questions surrounding the alleged NEET-UG paper leak and the participation of young people drawing attention beyond the political arena. Several celebrities have also expressed opposing views about the demonstrations and the conduct of protesters.