Mumbai: Several Bollywood celebrities, including Pooja Bhatt, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Genelia Deshmukh, among others, have expressed their support for students amid the alleged use of violence during a march to Jantar Mantar as part of the CJP protest.
Actors Shabana Azmi and Prakash Raj joined the protests in New Delhi on Monday. They marched in solidarity with climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and students demanding educational reforms and the resignation of the Union Education Minister.
Many actors took to social media to highlight the importance of listening to young voices, encouraging dialogue, and ensuring that students’ concerns are addressed with dignity and empathy. Taking to Instagram, Pooja Bhatt wrote, “When the Police or ‘law enforcers’ use tear gas & lathis against students, it is eventually the state protecting itself. The violence is then justified and masked by terms like ‘law and order’ because crushing dissent preserves the authority of those in power.”
In her post, Sonakshi Sinha said, “20th July…bohot logon ki haddiyaan tooti aur ek Poore Desh ka dil toota. Yaad rakhna.”
Aditi Rao Hydari penned a lengthy note that read, “Whatever anyone’s political preferences may be, humanity must come above all. We must ensure a safe environment built on respect, dignity, and empathy for all our brave students, and for all the determined voices seeking to be heard, with a genuine commitment to constructive dialogue. Listening to one another is the foundation of meaningful progress. Our students are our future.”
Genelia Deshmukh extended her support, writing, “We stand in solidarity with the youth of our country. Their voices deserve to be heard — loud, clear, and without fear. They are the heartbeat of our democracy and the true architects of our nation’s future. Let us listen, support, and empower them. The energy, courage, and dreams of our young people will shape the India we aspire to build. Jai Hind. Genelia & Riteish Deshmukh.”
Actress Revathy Asha on Tuesday expressed concern over the police action on protestors. Taking to her Instagram page to pen her thoughts on the police action on protesting students, Revathy wrote, “#cjpprotest #cjp The protectors unleashing violence… orders given by their seniors!!! Reminds us of the British violence during our freedom struggle… the officers were British but the soldiers were Indian… they had to obey, else they would be punished! Today we are seeing a repeat but the difference is both the cops on the ground and their seniors are Indian!!!”
She went on to point out that protest was a way to voice out dissent “It was peaceful !!! What ever the demands, it should be heard and discussed…not silenced with violence… The children are voicing out their concern – hear them, talk to them… not beat them… with Sonam Wangchuk and the students of our country.”
She also published an open letter to all the police officers.
In a detailed post shared on Instagram, Bhumi Pednekar said violence could not be the answer and urged that the focus remain on the students affected by gaps in the education system. “Violence is not the answer,” she wrote, referring to the visuals from the day.
Actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh also backed the Cockroach Janta Party’s youth-led protests. In a series of Instagram story posts, Dosanjh urged the authorities to listen to the students and said he expected to be labelled “anti-national” again for speaking out. He linked this to the criticism and legal trouble he said he faced after supporting the 2020-21 farmers’ protests. The ongoing protest includes demands for nationwide education reforms and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged irregularities.
The English translation of what Dosanjh wrote: “What happened today was very wrong. Students should not have been treated like this. I request the authorities to listen to the students’ demands. The voice of the people is the voice of God.”
He added, “I have already been labelled an ‘anti-national’ many times. Even now, I know I will be called anti-national again. After the farmers’ protest, I faced a lot of backlash and legal problems that I still cannot even discuss. The rest, God is watching everything. May Baba bless everyone.”
Bollywood actress Huma Qureshi said the visuals from the protest would stay with her “for a very long time”. She said seeing peaceful protesters met with “such brute force and lathis” had left her with “a deep sense of sadness”. “People have elected the government and today, we all need to ask questions and expect accountability,” she wrote.
Sonu Sood shared a heartfelt message in Hindi, writing, “Students need arms that embrace them, not batons,” accompanied by a heart emoji and the Indian flag.
Dia Mirza said the day had “revealed many truths,” claiming that thousands had gathered peacefully to demand accountability, transparency and reforms in the education system. She also alleged that force was used against protesters, including women and children, adding that she felt both “hopeful and angry.”
Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh issued a joint statement expressing solidarity with the youth of the country. They wrote that young voices deserve to be heard “loud, clear, and without fear,” calling them the heartbeat of democracy and the architects of India’s future.
Soha Ali Khan also voiced her support, writing, “The future belongs to the young,” while wishing that every young person always has the freedom to question, the courage to speak and the space to protest peacefully.
Rohit Saraf described the day as “gut-wrenching,” but said he hoped it would ultimately be remembered not for the violence, but for the “extraordinary courage” shown by the students.
Security personnel allegedly used tear gas to disperse a large group of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters who gathered in Delhi for a march towards Parliament.
Big stars including Khans still silent
While several Bollywood celebrities have publicly voiced their support for the students, many of the industry’s biggest names including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn have remained silent on the issue so far. Their silence has sparked criticism on social media, with many users questioning why some of the country’s most influential stars have not commented on an issue that has generated widespread public debate. However, none of these actors has issued any public statement on the matter yet.
The protest was organized over alleged irregularities in the NEET medical entrance examination and included demands for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protest took place as activist Sonam Wangchuk continued his indefinite hunger strike, during which he was admitted to Safdarjung Hospital after being shifted there by the Delhi Police.
(With inputs from IANS)
