Chak De India Fame Vidya Malavade Supports Sonam Wangchuk, Says Students Deserve Justice: ‘I Stand By Them’

Actor Vidya Malavade, best known for her role in Chak De! India, has voiced her support for climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar since June 28. On Saturday, Wangchuk was reportedly removed from the protest site by police and taken to Safdarjung Hospital. Expressing her concern, Vidya called the current situation “heart-breaking” and criticised the way Sonam Wangchuk has been treated. She also urged the government to initiate a dialogue with students who have been protesting.

Vidya Malavade Says ‘I Stand By The Students’

In her video message shared on Instagram, Vidya Malavade said, “It’s heart-breaking to see what’s happening in our country right now. The way Sonam Wangchuk ji has been treated, it’s not just frustrating but also very scary. But

the dignity and grace that Gitanjali ma’am is showing, that is the foundation that this great country is built on.”

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A post shared by Vidya S Malavade (@vidyamalavade)

Vidya also questioned why students protesting over their concerns had not been heard. She said every citizen has the right to protest peacefully. “Isn’t it every citizen’s birth right to protest peacefully against being wronged? It is unfathomable to even understand how these young kids have been driven to taking their own lives. These students deserve a dialogue and justice. And I stand by them. Chak De India!” she added. “WITH YOU …. INDIA !” wrote the ‘Mismatched’ actress, in her caption.

Poonam Pandey Joins CJP Protest

Meanwhile, on July 19, Poonam Pandey joined the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. The actress was seen interacting with the media and said that she was there solely to support students and their cause, amid the alleged NEET controversy. She claimed that she has no knowledge of politics and urged people not to turn the matter into a political or religious issue, but instead focus on the concerns of students.

She also reacted to Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike and said, “I pray for Sonam sir’s health. I hope he gets better and stays well. A person not eating food for so many days is concerning. If we don’t eat for even one day, our condition becomes difficult. That man has not eaten for 21 days. So, I hope he is doing well. I am only here to support the students.”

Wangchuk was staging the hunger strike in support of the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP), which has been demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the irregularities and paper leak allegations linked to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-UG conducted on May 3.

Meanwhile, many other celebrities such as Sonakshi Sinha, Hrithik Roshan, Shatrughan Sinha, Omi Vaidya, Zeenat Aman, Swara Bhasker, Soni Razdan and others have also earlier come out in support of Sonam Wangchuk.