This isn't our culture: Bhumi Pednekar condemns abusive slogans against PM Modi

Bhumi Pednekar condemned the use of abusive language against the Prime Minister during recent NEET protest-related demonstrations. She urged young people to express dissent respectfully and uphold India's culture of civil discourse.

In Short

• Bhumi Pednekar condemned abusive slogans directed at the Prime Minister
• The actor urged Gen Z to express dissent with respect and civility
• Her remarks come amid the ongoing controversy over NEET protest videos

Actor Bhumi Pednekar has condemned the use of abusive language directed at the Prime Minister during recent Cockroach Janata Party-led student protests. In an Instagram video, she said that such words should not be used against the holder of the country’s highest office.

The 37-year-old said that while people have the right to raise concerns about education and wider systemic issues, the manner in which some demonstrators expressed their dissent was wrong. Pednekar further appealed to Gen Z to show greater respect for India’s culture and traditions of civil discourse.

Pednekar said, "Looking at the videos surfacing now, the kind of language being used, and the way the youth of our country are speaking — 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?"

She continued, "Guys, this isn't our culture; it’s wrong, and this really bothered me — that’s why I wanted to come forward and address this: 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, otherwise, we won't be able to communicate the right things in the right way, and they will never be implemented or lead to change."

The actor concluded the video by saying, "We need to move forward together in unity."

Context around the row

The remarks come amid a wider controversy over the conduct and language used during protests linked to the NEET paper leak issue. The matter drew national attention after a viral student-led protest in which some participants raised vulgar slogans against political figures and security personnel. An FIR was also reportedly registered against a woman named Ruchika over alleged objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Actor Mukesh Khanna also commented on the issue in a 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". Khanna alleged that the protest was not really about students affected by the leak and claimed that those behind it were using students as part of an agenda to destabilise the government.

In the video, Khanna said that although he was away from India, he had been following developments through Instagram Reels and YouTube. Referring to his earlier remarks on Gen Z, he said that if these were the shoulders on which the country would rely 25 years from now, one could imagine the state of the country.

He said many people agreed with him that those seen in the protest were not speaking for the genuine issue of the NEET paper leak, and that the people who brought them on to the streets were responsible. He further alleged that they had been made to abuse people in public and that those behind the protest wanted to topple the government while the same people partied all night. There have been no reports of student protesters firing guns.

Addressing students directly, he warned that their actions and words would stay with them, and said they could face trouble in getting jobs and visas if they continued on the same path. He urged them to leave such activity before it damaged their careers. He captioned the video, "Throw away these cockroaches before it is too late."

Other reactions

The controversy had earlier drawn in actor and MP Kangana Ranaut, who posted a selfie-style video on Instagram after calling the protestors "generation gutter". She later said she was objecting to what she described as obscene behaviour during CJP-led protests over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, and said such conduct should not be normalised.

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