New Delhi: Several celebrities have called out the “police crackdown” on students during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march to Parliament from Jantar Mantar. Many celebrities have backed the students, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest and called for dialogue.
A violent confrontation took place on the streets of Delhi, where police used lathis and tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.
Taking to social media on Tuesday (July 21), actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh requested authorities to listen to students’ demands. He also said that he might be labelled as an “anti-national” for supporting the students. He further added that he faced a lot of backlash, as well as legal troubles, when he supported the farmers’ protest in 2020.
Criticising Police action against Students during the CJP protest, he wrote in Punjabi, “What happened today was really sad… Students shouldn’t have been treated this way. I request the authorities to listen to the demands of the students. The voice of the masses is the voice of god.”
“I have been tagged as an anti-nationalist on many occasions. Even now, I will be called an anti-nationalist. After the farmers’ protest, I faced a lot of backlash and legal problems which I can’t even discuss. Rest, god is watching everything. May god bless,” he added.
Actor Imran Khan also slammed the police action against students during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest in Delhi on Monday (July 20).
He wrote on Instagram, “Something broke in me today. Watching as police gassed and battered student protesters. How could I make sense of this? These students who worked hard, only to be failed by the system. These people who asked to be heard, only to be met with silence. These citizens who stood up to show what matters to them…beaten down and disowned by the establishment.”
He further questioned, “Are these not the children of Mother India? If not them, for whom do we build, and whose future do we claim to protect?”
Actor Saqib Saleem shared two different posts on Instagram criticising police action against students. He wrote, “I believe in this government, like I’d believe in any government the people elect. But belief isn’t blind faith. It comes with accountability. That’s not a threat to democracy, it’s the whole point. Sonam Wangchuk didn’t start a hunger strike for power. He’s spent his life building real solutions in education and sustainability, quietly, for decades. When a man like that puts his own health on the line, it’s not noise. It’s a signal worth listening to.”
He concluded his note with, “Call that whatever you want. I call it wrong. You can disagree with every single thing they’re asking for and still be horrified by how they were treated. That’s not politics. That’s just having a conscience.”
Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D’Souza expressed solidarity with the students. They wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “We stand in solidarity with the youth of our country. Their voices deserve to be heard – loud, clear, and without fear. They are the heartbeat of our democracy and the true architects of our nation’s future. Let us listen, support, and empower them. The energy, courage, and dreams of our young people will shape the India we aspire to build.”
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap questioned the actions of Delhi Police, while Vir Das expressed solidarity for the students.
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