New Delhi, July 29, 2026

A fresh political exchange has erupted over the recently concluded NEET protest movement, with BJP MP Kangana Ranaut and Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokesperson Saurav Das engaging in a public war of words. The controversy stems from Ranaut's criticism of the language used during student demonstrations, which she described as inappropriate, triggering a strong response from the CJP leader and leading to a series of counter-statements on social media.

Reacting to Das's remarks, Ranaut highlighted her achievements and experience in public life. "Yes, I am in politics for the past two years, but I have been in public life for the last 20 years, at his age, I had two National Awards. Yes, as a new parliamentarian I was overwhelmed with all the work because I am also a filmmaker, performing artist, producer, screen writer, entrepreneur. But someone like him who is totally useless and unemployed will never understand what it means to be in massive demand at all times at any age," the Lok Sabha MP said. She also advised him, saying, "Dear Saurav, your issues are personal. You are not a student. You are simply useless, let's start with learning some skill. It's a good place to start."

Earlier, Das had questioned Ranaut's political seriousness, saying, "Even members of her own party don't pay much heed to Kangana Ranaut or take her seriously, so why should we? I don't think anyone in Gen Z, Gen Alpha, or any younger generation takes her seriously or listens to what she says. She is a politician now. There were videos from when she visited her constituency in Himachal Pradesh where she remarked that she had expected the job to require very little work, only to realise that being a Member of Parliament involves a massive amount of labour. That speaks volumes about her own seriousness." The exchange followed Ranaut's earlier criticism of student protests against alleged NEET examination irregularities, where she called the use of "obscene language" and personal attacks "completely unacceptable" and described protest videos shared on her Instagram Stories as "puke-inducing."

The CJP-led demonstrations had demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak controversy. Pradhan resigned from the post over the weekend, after which the protests were called off. While the demonstrations have ended, the sharp exchange between Ranaut and Das has kept the political debate surrounding the issue in the spotlight.