Several Bollywood celebrities have voiced support for the ongoing protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), with some taking to the streets alongside protesters while others expressed solidarity through social media.
Actors Huma Qureshi and Saqib Saleem joined protesters at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi late Wednesday night. Accompanied by actor Rachit Singh, the siblings marched with students demanding reforms in the education system and calling for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities.
Actor Imran Khan was also seen participating in a protest march in Mumbai. Videos shared online showed him walking with hundreds of demonstrators despite the rain.
Veteran actor Shabana Azmi has remained one of the most visible supporters of the movement. In addition to speaking out publicly, she has joined protesters on the ground, extending her support beyond social media.
Actor Prakash Raj also backed the students and criticized members of the film industry whom he believes have remained silent during the protests.
Several other film personalities have expressed solidarity online. They include Swara Bhasker, Sonakshi Sinha, Soni Razdan, Zeenat Aman, Naseeruddin Shah, Abhay Deol, Taapsee Pannu, Dia Mirza, Gauahar Khan, Anubhav Sinha, Vishal Bhardwaj, Anurag Kashyap, Rahul Bose, Kunal Kamra and Diljit Dosanjh.
Meanwhile, actors-turned-politicians Hema Malini and Kangana Ranaut, both members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have criticized the protests and spoken in support of the government’s position.
The CJP-led protests have drawn thousands of students in Delhi and other parts of the country. Protesters are demanding greater accountability over alleged irregularities in the education system and have called for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG question paper leak earlier this year.