Support for students protesting over the alleged NEET irregularities continues to grow, with several Bollywood actors, filmmakers and public personalities speaking out after the police baton charge during the CJP-led protest, while a few celebrities had already reacted earlier, many more have now joined the conversation, calling for peaceful dialogue, fairness in the education system and respect for students.
The latest reactions have come from actors across the Hindi film industry, showing that the issue has now moved beyond politics and become a matter of public concern for many well-known personalities.
Veteran actress Shabana Azmi visited Delhi's Jantar Mantar before the CJP's "Chalo Sansad" march and met the protesting students and addressing the gathering, she said that peaceful protest is a constitutional right and that students should be allowed to express their concerns without fear.
Actor Prakash Raj also reached Jantar Mantar to extend his support to the students and carrying a copy of the Constitution while addressing the gathering, he said that speaking the truth should never become a reason for fear and stressed the need for accountability and said that those raising genuine concerns should be heard instead of being ignored.
Actor Riteish Deshmukh came forward and expressed solidarity with the CJP's "Sansad Chalo" protest through social media and said the country's youth deserve to be heard and encouraged people to stand with students instead of ignoring their concerns and according to Riteish, young people should be empowered to speak about issues affecting their future.
His wife, actor Genelia Deshmukh, also extended support to the movement and said students represent the future of the country and appealed for empathy, she also urged society and the authorities to listen carefully to the voices of students instead of dismissing their concerns.
Actor Dia Mirza also criticised the reported use of force against the protesters and appealed for peaceful dialogue and said students who are raising concerns deserve to be heard rather than suppressed, according to her, compassion should guide the response to the protests instead of confrontation.
Actor Swara Bhasker also visited the protest site during Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike, where she met both Wangchuk and CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, later, she shared a message online thanking the organisers for what she described as fighting for the future of children. Her post added to the growing list of celebrities publicly supporting the movement.
Comedian and actor Vir Das also voiced support for the students and encouraged fellow artists and public figures to speak openly on issues affecting young people and according to him, remaining silent during a youth-led movement would mean missing an opportunity to stand for accountability and justice.
Kareena Kapoor Khan posted a detailed statement saying she had been thinking about the issue for several days before deciding to speak publicly and stressed that education gives children confidence and hope, but that trust is damaged when students begin to doubt whether honesty, hard work and merit truly matter.
Actors Varun Dhawan, Ananya Panday and Sara Ali Khan also expressed support through social media posts and urged authorities to listen to students' concerns and called for a fair, transparent and accountable education system, along with them several other celebrities have also joined the growing list of supporters.
Actor Salman Khan said he was saddened that what began as a peaceful movement turned violent and described the alleged paper leak as a serious issue and said he was encouraged to see students and their parents coming together to demand a better education system and also appealed for the students' concerns to be heard.
Actor Hina Khan also came forward and supported the movement, saying every student deserves a fair opportunity and every family deserves answers. She also expressed hope that the controversy would lead to meaningful reforms.
Actor Ayesha Khan was also reportedly detained by Mumbai Police while attempting to join a solidarity march in Mumbai and responding to criticism over her participation, she later wrote on social media that she would rather lose her career than lose her principles.
Actor Richa Chadha also shared a strongly worded post expressing support for students and said people should not confuse a movement with those leading it and added that the students' emotions, demands and concerns about their future are valid and deserve attention.
As support from the entertainment industry continues to grow, the CJP-led student protest has become one of the biggest public movements to receive backing from actors, filmmakers and artists across different parts of the country.
