‘Learn to be a student of life’: Saurav Das hits back at Kangana Ranaut’s ‘useless’ jibe

The public feud between Bharatiya Janata Party MP and actor Kangana Ranaut and Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) chief spokesperson Saurav Das escalated on Wednesday after Das responded to Ranaut’s personal remarks, calling her a “student of life” in need of wisdom.

Das was reacting to Ranaut’s Instagram posts in which she described him as a “28-year-old student” who is “useless and unemployed”. Das clarified that he is 27, works as a journalist, and has never claimed to be an active student.

“Even Google is giving Kangana incorrect information about me. I’m 27, not 28, and I am not a student. I am a journalist. I never claimed to be an active student,” Das told ANI.

He added, “I am a student of life. Regardless of one’s age, one should remain a student of life. If one isn’t a student of life, wisdom won’t come. Kangana, too, should learn how to become a student of life.”

The exchange began after Ranaut criticised the CJP-led protests at Jantar Mantar over the NEET paper leak. In a series of Instagram Stories, she questioned Das’s credentials, writing, “Googled this person and he is 28 years old, how he claims to be a student I have no clue!! Yes I am in politics for past 2 years but I have been in public life for last 20 years, at his age I had 2 National Awards.”

She then launched a personal attack, writing, “But someone like him who is totally useless and unemployed will never understand what it means to be in massive demand and at all times at any age. 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, Ranaut had referred to the protesters in harsh terms. She called some young women participating in the movement “Generation Gutter”, alleging they glorified “drugs, drinks, or endless body counts” while depending on their parents financially. She described videos from the protests as “puke-inducing”, saying she had “never in my life seen so much ugliness in one place.” She also accused protesters of using abusive language, writing, “You call yourselves cockroaches and look and behave like them too,” before calling them “filth, garbage, and ugliness.”

Das had earlier responded to Ranaut’s criticism by saying she was not taken seriously by younger generations. “Kangana Ranaut is not taken seriously by her own party. So why should we take her seriously? I don’t think anyone in Gen Z, or in Gen Alpha, or any younger generation takes her seriously. Or listens to her,” he said.

The CJP, a youth-led party, concluded its protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the NEET paper leak. The dispute over the protests has now turned into a personal public feud, with both sides exchanging barbs on social media and in interviews.