​​​​​​​New Delhi, August 12: BJP MP and actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut on Wednesday defended her controversial “Generation Gutter” remarks, saying they were directed only at people who “label themselves as cockroaches” and were not aimed at the entire youth population.

Speaking to ANI, Ranaut said those who identify themselves as “cockroaches” should not be offended by her reference to gutters. She also rejected claims that she had made a blanket statement about young people protesting at Jantar Mantar over the NEET-UG paper leak.

“Those who call themselves cockroaches, and we say that cockroaches emerge from gutters, what is wrong with that?” Ranaut said. She added that she was referring only to a specific section of people and not all youngsters.

Ranaut said discussions about drug use, betting, gambling and the dark web also concerned only certain sections of the younger generation and should not be interpreted as criticism of all youth.

“If some young people use drugs, or if we discuss the current trend of addiction involving drugs, betting, gambling, or the dark web, addressing a specific segment of the youth doesn't mean I was making a blanket statement about everyone,” she said.

She also criticised the Opposition over its refusal to agree to a discussion on the students’ protest, questioning whether Union Home Minister Amit Shah could be expected to respond to individual protesters outside Parliament.

Ranaut had earlier criticised videos from the Jantar Mantar agitation led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) over the NEET-UG paper leak. Calling the videos “puke-inducing,” she objected to the language and behaviour shown in them and referred to some of the protesters as “Generation Gutter.”

“Never in my life have I seen so much ugliness in one place,” she had said in a series of Instagram Stories, while also alleging that some participants had little to contribute to the system and were not performing well academically.

Meanwhile, Advocate Ramashankar Sharma, president of the Rajiv Gandhi Bar Association in Agra, said on Wednesday that he had filed a case against Ranaut over her “Generation Gutter” remarks. The Special Court for MPs/MLAs is scheduled to hear the matter on August 21.