Hours after the University of Delhi issued an advisory to its students, urging them not to participate in protests across Delhi and stay away from Jantar Mantar, actor-director Pooja Bhatt came down heavily against the advisory. The filmmaker said that it was the institution’s duty to support the students’ ‘right to speak’ rather than silence them.
Event Context
On Thursday, the Delhi University shared an advisory on social media, telling all its students to stay away from ‘unlawful assemblies’, including the protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. “Dear students and faculty, your safety matters to us. Please note that any unlawful assemblies or demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, which are strictly regulated as per the directives of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, may invite legal action. Such activities can also pose serious risks to students’ personal safety and significantly impact their academic progress and professional opportunities. Accordingly, all students are urged to stay away from Jantar Mantar and to prioritise their safety and compliance with the law. Furthermore, you are advised to exercise caution as a significant amount of fake and misleading content is being created and circulated to fuel the situation,” read the message.
Tens of thousands of young protesters, led by the Cockroach Janta Party, are assembled at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site in New Delhi, calling on Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to step down over alleged irregularities in the education system, including the leak of the NEET exam paper. Protests have also sprung up in dozens of other Indian cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru.
“This movement will not stop until we get the resignation of Pradhan,” the CJP said a post on X. “We will fight together, we will win together.” Pradhan has struck a defiant tone in response to the protests, accusing the Congress party of using “students as political tools to manufacture disruption.”
Educator Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike in solidarity with students for over 20 days, ended his fast early on Friday morning. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also issued a statement saying the accused in NEET leak have been arrested and the government is setting up fast track courts to expedite the case.
