Sonu Sood, Vir Das, Dia Mirza, Soha Ali Khan lead Bollywood’s support for CJP students protesting over NEET malpractices |

Sonu Sood, Vir Das, Dia Mirza, Soha Ali Khan lead Bollywood’s support for CJP students’ protest over NEET irregularities

Several members of the film industry have supported the protest led by the youth of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, where students have been demanding a response to the alleged NEET issue and major reforms in education. As more and more protests in the Monsoon Session, actors Sonu Sood, Vir Das, Dia Mirza, Soha Ali Khan, Aditi Rao Hydari, Aayush Sharma, Rohit Saraf, Prakash Raj, Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia Deshmukh publicly stood in solidarity with the opposition.The marches, which were organized under the leadership of the ‘Sansad Chalo’ group, later saw clashes between protesters and security forces as protesters tried to approach the Parliament.

Sonu Sood wants mercy

Taking note of the situation, Sonu Sood urged the authorities to respond with kindness instead of force. Sharing the message on Instagram Stories, he wrote, “Our students don’t need lathis (sticks), they need arms that hug them (sic).”

Vir Das encourages artists to speak up

Veteran actor Vir Das appealed to his fellow actors to remain silent as the youth continued to protest. In his Instagram posts, he wrote, “If you are a living artist in India. I hope you understand the real hypocrisy of not speaking to the youth, and then trying to sell tickets later (sic).”Das continued, “It’s too much fun to be a silent spectator to what the Indian community cares about, and then expect the Indian community to be loud and clear and take care of you. Apna apna dekh lo, lekin mere liye pahunch jaana (Take care of yourself, but make sure you get to me). It doesn’t work. The concert gathering (youth in India) is built on economic wealth.”Explaining why he believes this story goes beyond politics, Vir added, “I find that ‘you are not political’ which is under the words ‘I am very liberal’. I always look at those words and think, are you your friend. But today, I humbly submit to you that this story is not political or irrelevant. It is about the youth now. (all).“

Aditi Rao Hydari emphasizes dialogue

Aditi Rao Hydari appealed for sympathy and respectful dialogue in the ongoing protests. His Instagram account said, “No matter what one’s political preferences are, humanity should come first.”He also wrote, “We must ensure a safe environment based on respect, dignity, and compassion for all our courageous students, and all determined voices that want to be heard, and a genuine commitment to constructive dialogue. Listening to each other is the foundation of productive progress. Our students are our future (sic).”

Dia Mirza opposes the use of force

Dia Mirza condemned the use of force against the protests, saying that the events of the day showed serious concerns about the treatment of peaceful protesters. He wrote, “Today has been a day that has revealed many truths. The day appeared to demonstrate their demands for accountability, transparency and change in educational systems (sic).”Continuing his speech, the actor added, “The day when the soldiers who are responsible for protecting their citizens used violence against them including women and children during their peaceful protests. Hope and anger (sic).”

Soha Ali Khan praises fearless youth

Expressing solidarity with the students, Soha Ali Khan praised the youth for raising their voices. He wrote: “The future belongs to the youth.” They should have the freedom to ask questions, be bold in speaking out and protest peacefully. Jai Hind (sic).”

Aayush Sharma and Rohit Saraf add support

Supporting the protests, Aayush Sharma highlighted the importance of listening to citizens in a democracy. He said, “The sign of a healthy democracy is not voting but the voice of its people. Whether students or any citizen of the country raises their voice, it should be heard, not suppressed. Today the government had a discussion with the students. This is a victory for all those who stand bravely at Jantar Mantar.“Meanwhile, Rohit Saraf praised the bravery of those involved in the riot.Sharing his thoughts, he wrote, “Today has been gut-wrenching, but I know one thing..not only our country, the whole world is listening. It’s the sound of the future that can be heard clearly even though these days are unknown (sic).”

Protests demand changes in education

The demonstration was organized to coincide with the start of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. Protesters demanded reforms in education across the country and demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for violating NEET rules.As the protests progressed to Parliament, clashes broke out between protesters and security forces.

A memorandum was sent to JP Nadda

A delegation representing the CJP later met Union Health Minister JP Nadda and sent a memorandum detailing three demands. These include immediate release of hospital coordinator Sonam Wangchuk, resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan and compensation of Rs 1 crore to the families of NEET aspirants who allegedly committed suicide following the paper leak.

Many famous people join this group

Actor Prakash Raj participated in CJP’s “Chalo Sansad” tour in Delhi. Addressing the gathering, he waved a copy of the Constitution as he expressed his support for the students against the alleged wrongdoing of NEET.