As many as 50,000 protestors took to streets in the national capital on Monday to demand the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, according to HT reporters on ground. The protests continued to take shape in the consecutive days, with many marching on the streets of Mumbai as well.
Event Context
Several actors from Bollywood have since spoken up in support of the students. Two days after the Delhi Police lathi-charged against protestors during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) Chalo Sansad march, actor Ishaan Khatter has now issued a statement on the protests and said that he is a ‘student first’ and then a professional.
Ishaan shared several images taken during the ongoing protests in Delhi and Mumbai in her new post. The first image was of Rhiya Ahir, a 27-year-old model, who became one of the defining faces of the protest at Shivaji Park on Wednesday. She stood blocking a police van that was carrying protesters who were detained during demonstrations demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities. Another picture showed a woman shielding other protestors from getting lathi-charged by the Delhi Police.
Ishaan wrote in the caption, “In solidarity. No monologues. May our voices be heard and may nobody have to be harmed anymore for it. I am a student first before I am a professional.
Today I’m a proud Indian because of the grit and resilience of our youth. जय हिंद।”
The protests began after allegations of a NEET paper leak sparked widespread outrage among medical aspirants, many of whom questioned the fairness of the examination process. The anger grew stronger following reports of several students dying by suicide, with many pointing to the intense pressure of the exam and the uncertainty surrounding it.
Students, parents and supporters have gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and in several other cities, demanding accountability and reforms. The movement is being led by the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which emerged after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant allegedly referred to unemployed youth activists as “cockroaches.” Protesters later adopted the term themselves, turning it into a symbol of resistance.
Among the key demands are the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, ₹1 crore compensation for the families of students who died by suicide, and the release of activist Sonam Wangchuk.
Amid the students protests that have become a nationwide movement, actors like Alia Bhatt, Salman Khan, Huma Qureshi, Saqib Saleem, Sonakshi Sinha, Prakash Raj, Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Amol Parasher, Swara Bhasker and many more have voiced their opinions regarding the protests.
