Bhumi Pednekkar slams abusive language against Modi in student protests
What's the story
Bollywood actor Bhumi Pednekkar has condemned the use of abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during recent Cockroach Janata Party-led student protests. In an Instagram video, she said such words shouldn't be used against someone who holds the country's highest office. She further appealed to Gen Z to show greater respect for India's culture.
Statement
'This isn't how we talk, man': Pednekkar
In her video, Pednekkar said, "Looking at the videos surfacing now, the kind of language being used...the youth of our country...this isn't how we talk, man."
"We are talking about someone who holds the highest office in the land today. And it's not just about the office; would we ever speak like this to the elders in our own homes? Can we really resort to using abusive language?"
Appeal
We need to move forward together in unity, she added
Pednekkar further said, "Guys, this isn't our culture; it's wrong, and this really bothered me."
"A country will only progress and move forward when, collectively and unitedly, we discuss our flaws as well as the good things. Our culture and value system form our backbone; we shouldn't stray from them."
She concluded the video by saying, "We need to move forward together in unity."
Actor's opinion
Mukesh Khanna also reacted to the controversy
Actor Mukesh Khanna, too, weighed in on the controversy in a recent video shared on Instagram.
He called the people backing the students' protest over the NEET paper leak "cockroaches" and said they should be "thrown out."
He alleged that those behind it were using students as part of an agenda to destabilize the government.
Earlier statement
Meanwhile, Kangana Ranaut earlier called protestors 'generation gutter'
The controversy had earlier drawn in actor and MP Kangana Ranaut, who posted a video on Instagram after calling the protestors "generation gutter."
"These reels from GenZ protests are puke-inducing, the way they speak and the kind of language they are using...[is] so jarring and so crass," she had written on Instagram.
She later said she was objecting to what she described as obscene behavior during CJP-led protests, and said such conduct should not be normalized.