An estimated 50,000 protestors took to the streets of the national capital on Monday, demanding the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, according to reports. The protests continued over subsequent days, extending to Mumbai as well. In the wake of these demonstrations, several Bollywood actors have voiced their support for the students. Two days after Delhi Police lathi-charged protestors during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) Chalo Sansad march, actor Ishaan Khatter spoke out on the issue, calling himself a “student first” and a professional second.
Ishaan Khatter shares photos from Delhi and Mumbai protests
In his latest post, Ishaan shared multiple photos from the ongoing protests in both Delhi and Mumbai. One image featured 27-year-old model Rhiya Ahir, who emerged as a prominent face of the Shivaji Park protest on Wednesday after she stood in front of a police van transporting detained protestors, part of demonstrations demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over alleged exam irregularities. Another photo showed a woman protecting fellow protestors from a Delhi Police lathi charge.The actor 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।”.
Ishaan Khatter’s post comes amid NEET paper leak fallout
The protests started after news broke of a NEET paper leak, which made many medical aspirants angry and made them question if the exam was fair. Things got worse when reports came out that several students had died by suicide, and people blamed this on the huge pressure and stress caused by the exam. Since then, students, parents, and supporters have gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and in other cities too, asking for accountability and changes to the system. The protest is led by a group called the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). It got this name after Chief Justice Surya Kant reportedly called unemployed youth activists “cockroaches.” Protestors then adopted the word themselves, turning it into a symbol of their fight.Among the protestors’ major demands are Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as Union Education Minister, a compensation of ₹1 crore for families of students who died by suicide, and activist Sonam Wangchuk‘s release.
Ishaan Khatter joins list of Bollywood stars backing protests
As the student protests continue to grow into a nationwide movement, several actors, including Alia Bhatt, Salman Khan, Huma Qureshi, Saqib Saleem, Sonakshi Sinha, Prakash Raj, Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Amol Parasher, and Swara Bhasker, among others, have come forward to share their views on the ongoing demonstrations.
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