BJP MP and actor Kangana Ranaut on Friday praised Gen Z as the "strength" and "pride" of the country, marking a sharp shift in her stand days after her remarks describing protesting youth as "generation gutter" triggered widespread criticism.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Ranaut said India's younger generation was emerging as an ambassador of the country's culture and identity. Her remarks came a day after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said students should not be branded anti-national for participating in protests and called for dialogue with the youth.
"Gen Z is the strength of our country and a great asset to the nation. We are happy that young people are increasingly emerging as ambassadors of our culture and identity," Ranaut said.
Referring to Bhagwat's speech in Mumbai on Thursday, she said the RSS chief's views carried great weight and expressed satisfaction that the country's youth were embracing India's cultural values.
The BJP MP also sought to distinguish the larger Gen Z population from those involved in abusive behaviour during recent protests.
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"Gen Z is part of the government. It is their mandate that our government has been fulfilling for years. Gen Z are great. It is not that the 10 or 15 people using abusive language represent the entire generation," she said, adding that only a handful of people were tarnishing the image of the country's youth.
Ranaut also targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for not visiting Ranchi to meet students protesting over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations.
Her latest remarks represent a significant departure from her comments during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protests over the alleged NEET paper leak. At the time, she had criticised videos of student protesters circulating on social media, saying she had "never seen so much ugliness in one place" and describing some participants as "generation gutter", comments that drew sharp criticism from Opposition parties and sections of social media.
On Thursday, Bhagwat had said young people should not be labelled anti-national merely for protesting, calling them "our own next generation" and urging that their concerns be addressed through dialogue rather than suspicion.
Ranaut's change in tone comes amid an intense political debate over student protests, police action and the government's response to growing youth-led agitations across the country.
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