Kangana Ranaut slams Rahul Gandhi over remarks on Amit Shah: ‘He makes mockery of the country’

Kangana's comments came after Rahul said he was not interested in hearing Shah’s response following the latter’s ‘prolonged absence’ from Parliament.

Kangana Ranaut has hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on Union home minister Amit Shah. The BJP MP on Wednesday accused him of “making a mockery of the country” and refusing to listen to answers to the questions he raised.

BJP MP Kangana Ranaut has slammed Rahul Gandhi. (ANI)

Her comments came after Rahul said he was not interested in hearing Shah’s response following the home minister’s ‘prolonged absence’ from Parliament following police crackdown on student protesters last month.

“I heard his interview earlier and initially could not believe that he was actually saying those things,” Ranaut said of Rahul. “But when I listened to it again, I felt that even talking about growing potatoes on the Moon or selling jalebis in other countries pales in comparison,” she said.

Kangana questions Rahul Gandhi's approach

Ranaut accused Rahul of mocking the people of the country and said his remarks had crossed a line. “The way he mocks the people of this country has gone beyond all limits,” she said.

She also questioned Rahul's demand for answers from the government while refusing to hear Amit Shah's response.

“In the same breath, he says, ‘I don't want to listen to anything Amit Shah has to say; I want answers from you on this and that, including what happened to the students.’”

Ranaut asked how Rahul expected to get answers if he did not listen to the government's response.

“On the one hand, he says he does not want to hear anything, and on the other, he demands answers. How will he get answers if he refuses to listen?” she said.

‘Come to Parliament and raise questions’

Ranaut said Rahul should raise his questions in Parliament instead of seeking answers through the media. “If he has questions, he should come to Parliament and raise them,” she said. She also questioned Rahul's approach to the allegations surrounding the student protests.

“He is asking the media whether bullets were fired, whether anyone was injured, whether tear gas was used, and demanding answers,” Ranaut said.

“But when answers are being given, he does not listen, nor does he come to Parliament,” she added. “I would say that while comedy has its place, the way he is making a mockery of the country is highly condemnable,” she said.

Why Ranaut used the ‘Generation gutter’ label

Ranaut has also explained why she earlier referred to some young Gen Z protesters as “Generation gutter”. The actor-politician on Wednesday said her remarks were directed at the “filthy” language and behaviour seen in videos from the student-led protests in Jantar Mantar last month.

Ranaut said Gen Z was initially seen as more sensitive and vocal about issues. She now says the generation has created its identity and faces struggles like every generation before it.

“Gen Z was given this name because, when this generation first emerged, they were considered to be more sensitive and had louder reactions to issues,” she said.

She added that young people had always gone through a rebellious phase. Ranaut cited movements such as the Flower Power movement and armed revolutions as examples.

“In the beginning, every generation tends to be rebellious, but eventually, they settle into the mainstream of life, just as previous generations have,” she said. Ranaut said Gen Z should no longer be judged by old stereotypes. She praised young Indians for their ambition, confidence and talent.

“We are now seeing that Gen Z has moved beyond the stereotypes associated with it. I would say that today’s Gen Z is ambitious and fiery by nature,” she said.

“They are taking the country forward, and there is no shortage of talented and confident young people,” Ranaut added, pointing to young entrepreneurs, startups and other talented youth. She said the talent and confidence of young Indians is increasingly being recognised around the world.

Ranaut's clarification come after she faced criticism for targeting protesters involved in the CJP-led agitation.

In an earlier social media post, she criticised videos from the protests, calling them “puke inducing” and objecting to the language used by some participants.

She had also targeted women protesters, saying, “Here is a new generation of so-called westernised Indian women. I call them generation gutter.”

Ranaut later clarified that she was referring to “obscene and unethical” conduct by some protesters and not to Gen Z as a whole.

“I asked them not to normalise the 'gutter chaap', unethical and filthy behaviour of some protesters who were doing it on the streets in front of children, elders, and women. We do not accept this in this society,” she had said.

She also objected to alleged abusive remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother during the protests.