Kangana Ranaut Defends Students Being Beaten On Roads; Criticizes Gen Z Protests

Actor and BJP Member of Parliament Kangana Rana Rana has taken to Instagram Stories to voice her disapproval of the recent Gen Z protests that sparked the Cockroach Janta Party movement. In her posts, she criticised the viral videos that showed students marching on the streets of Jantar Mantar and accused them of “filthy and abusive reels.” Rana Rana said the protestors were being beaten on the roads by ordinary citizens and that the public would “damage” those who “damage public property.” She added that the students’ use of harsh language and their perceived disrespect towards the country would invite a backlash from those who love the nation and support the government.

Rana Rana’s comments came after the protests, which drew around 50,000 participants on July 20 and ultimately led to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. She described the movement as “starkly different from the values and sophistication that India stands for,” calling the videos “puke‑inducing” and “crass.” In one of her stories, she urged the youth to understand that “every action has an equal and opposite reaction,” warning that their public property damage would be met with similar retaliation.

In a separate post, Rana Rana lamented the “ugliness” she witnessed in the protests, stating, “Never in my life have I seen so much ugliness in one place.” She criticized the language used by the students, describing it as “filth, garbage and ugliness,” and suggested that India’s diverse and elegant culture was being tarnished. She concluded that the movement’s participants were “raising” a generation that behaved like cockroaches, a comparison she found “scary” and said she needed a digital detox to recover from.

Rana Rana’s statements reflect a broader debate over the role of student activism in India. While the protests highlighted grievances about education policy and government accountability, the actress’s remarks underscore a backlash from some political figures who view the movement as disruptive and disrespectful to national values. The controversy continues as the public and media weigh the legitimacy of the protests against the concerns raised by Rana Rana and her supporters.