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What is the story about?
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and students-led protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar has gained widespread attention, with demonstrations and solidarity marches being held in several parts of the country. People are coming out on streets to support the movement. On July 20, protesters’ attempt to march to the parliament was met with severe lathicharge from the police.
Now, a number of Bollywood celebrities have expressed support for the students, condemned the police brutality, and appealed for peaceful demonstrations. Among those who have publicly voiced their support are Salman Khan, Rohit Saraf, Naseeruddin Shah, Arijit Singh, Anurag Kashyap, Genelia D'Souza, Riteish Deshmukh, Thalapathy Vijay, and more.
Here are 10 celebrities who are backing and appealing for peaceful protest across the country.
Salman Khan
Sharing an old grainy picture of himself from his school days, the 60-year-old called the students participating in the protest “courageous and brave.”
He wrote, “It was such a peaceful movement, feel so sad that it had to take a violent turn. My heart goes out to the students and their families who were hurt. Paper leak is a very serious issue, and I am glad to know and see that the kids of our country have come together for a better educational system, and their parents supported them.”
“This andolan, this protest, is the right way to go about it, and the students have done this peacefully. So courageous and brave. This issue is between the students and the educational system, it should not be hijacked politically, the credit should only go to the students of our country,” he wrote.
Salman Khan ended his post, saying, education should be the next trend and fashion in the country so that students from abroad come to India to study.
Naseeruddin Shah
The veteran actorposted a video statement on social media, extending his support to the protesters. “I would like to say two things to you all. The first thing is that if an uneducated person leads this country, then his heart will want the whole country to become as ignorant, incomprehensible, and merciless as he is,” he said.
Shah went on to urge students not to lose hope, saying, “My blood boils seeing how the youth are being tortured by those goons who remind me of the mask-wearing agents in America. Many people are with you. Keep fighting,” the actor added.
Rohit Saraf
Rohit Saraf also shared his thoughts on his Instagram stories. He wrote, “Today’s been gut-wrenching, but I know one thing…not just our nation, the entire world is listening. It’s the sound of a future that feels brighter despite the uncertainty of today. I believe today will not be remembered for the violence that unfolded, but for the extraordinary courage that was shown.”
Arijit Singh
Singh shared a series of posts on X and expressed anger over the use of force against the protesters. “Yaar ab to students ko maar rahe hain yahaan aap log (Now you are beating up the students). Aren't you ashamed!!??” he wrote.
In another post, the singer said, “Hello Neta, Mantri!! kya chal raha hai bhai!! apne aapko bhagwan samajh liya hai kya? (Hello, leaders and ministers! What's going on? Have you started thinking you're gods or something?). Har cheez Yaad rakkha jayega! Yaad rakhna (Everything will be remembered. Remember that). The only constant is change.”
Anurag Kashyap
Anurag Kashyap also backed the protest saying, “What they don’t understand about the kids who’ve come down on the streets to protest is that they were between 2-6 when the PM came to power. All they’ve seen is Congress-mukt Bharat, and they’re tired of it. They want answers, and they really want them." “Kisi aur ko gaali deke iss baar nahin chalega. In bachchon ke sawaal poochne aur vote dene ka time aa gaya hai.” Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh
The couple also extended support to the students and said their voices deserve to be heard.
“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. Jai Hind. Genelia & Riteish Deshmukh #YouthOfIndia #VoiceOfTheYouth #FutureOfOurNation (sic),” they said in a joint statement.
Thalapathy Vijay
Actor-turned-politician and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Thalapathy Vijay has publicly backed the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests. In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, Vijay said, “As far as the NEET examination is concerned, TVK’s uncompromising stand is that the NEET examination system should be abolished entirely. We will never make false promises or indulge in vote-bank politics over the NEET issue. The examination has caused immense hardship not only to students but also to their families.”
Shabana Azmi
Veteran actor Shabana Azmi is also among the personalities to extend her support to the student protests over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak.
Azmi participated in the 'Chalo Sansad' march in New Delhi on July 20. Speaking to The Indian Express, the 75-year-old actor revealed that she suffered an asthma attack after being exposed to tear gas during the demonstration.
“I am an asthmatic and got an attack because of the tear gas, but I had my pump with me so I am ok now. I was respectfully escorted to a nearby building and after catching my breath, I went right back and spoke to the students who had been lathicharged. Their spirit is unprecedented. My salaams to all of them,” Azmi said.
Despite the health scare, Azmi said she recovered after using her inhaler and returned to the protest site to meet students who were injured during the police action.
Alia Bhatt
Alia Bhatt has also publicly expressed support for the students involved in the ongoing protests over the alleged NEET paper leak and the police action against demonstrators. In an Instagram post shared on Wednesday, Alia said, “The last few days have broken my heart and then mended it, again and again, with hope. Behind every student standing their ground is a dream, a family's hope, a journey of countless sacrifices. They represent not just themselves but everyone who has supported them, while creating a better path for those who will come after them.”
She went on to praise the protesters, adding, “Their courage humbles me. Their resolve is a mirror held up to all of us, asking whether we are truly listening to the very people who will inherit and shape this country's tomorrow. For the students. By the students. The future is theirs. Jai Hind.”
Huma Qureshi
The actress, who hasstepped out to support the Jantar Mantar protesters today with his rumoured boyfriend, also shared an Instagram post earlier saying that the situation could have been handled with much more patience.
“The visuals from today will stay with me for a very long time. Seeing peaceful protestors being met with such brute forces and lathis left me with a deep sense of sadness. This surely could have been handled with much more patience, more listening and more dialogue,” she said.
She added, “We, the people of India, elected this government and today we all need to ask questions and expect accountability. We are a huge diverse nation, we don't all have to agree on every issue, but surely we can agree that every citizen deserves to be heard with dignity before force becomes the response.”
Now, a number of Bollywood celebrities have expressed support for the students, condemned the police brutality, and appealed for peaceful demonstrations. Among those who have publicly voiced their support are Salman Khan, Rohit Saraf, Naseeruddin Shah, Arijit Singh, Anurag Kashyap, Genelia D'Souza, Riteish Deshmukh, Thalapathy Vijay, and more.
Here are 10 celebrities who are backing and appealing for peaceful protest across the country.
Salman Khan
Sharing an old grainy picture of himself from his school days, the 60-year-old called the students participating in the protest “courageous and brave.”
He wrote, “It was such a peaceful movement, feel so sad that it had to take a violent turn. My heart goes out to the students and their families who were hurt. Paper leak is a very serious issue, and I am glad to know and see that the kids of our country have come together for a better educational system, and their parents supported them.”
“This andolan, this protest, is the right way to go about it, and the students have done this peacefully. So courageous and brave. This issue is between the students and the educational system, it should not be hijacked politically, the credit should only go to the students of our country,” he wrote.
Salman Khan ended his post, saying, education should be the next trend and fashion in the country so that students from abroad come to India to study.
Naseeruddin Shah
The veteran actorposted a video statement on social media, extending his support to the protesters. “I would like to say two things to you all. The first thing is that if an uneducated person leads this country, then his heart will want the whole country to become as ignorant, incomprehensible, and merciless as he is,” he said.
Shah went on to urge students not to lose hope, saying, “My blood boils seeing how the youth are being tortured by those goons who remind me of the mask-wearing agents in America. Many people are with you. Keep fighting,” the actor added.
Rohit Saraf
Rohit Saraf also shared his thoughts on his Instagram stories. He wrote, “Today’s been gut-wrenching, but I know one thing…not just our nation, the entire world is listening. It’s the sound of a future that feels brighter despite the uncertainty of today. I believe today will not be remembered for the violence that unfolded, but for the extraordinary courage that was shown.”
Arijit Singh
Singh shared a series of posts on X and expressed anger over the use of force against the protesters. “Yaar ab to students ko maar rahe hain yahaan aap log (Now you are beating up the students). Aren't you ashamed!!??” he wrote.
In another post, the singer said, “Hello Neta, Mantri!! kya chal raha hai bhai!! apne aapko bhagwan samajh liya hai kya? (Hello, leaders and ministers! What's going on? Have you started thinking you're gods or something?). Har cheez Yaad rakkha jayega! Yaad rakhna (Everything will be remembered. Remember that). The only constant is change.”
Anurag Kashyap
Anurag Kashyap also backed the protest saying, “What they don’t understand about the kids who’ve come down on the streets to protest is that they were between 2-6 when the PM came to power. All they’ve seen is Congress-mukt Bharat, and they’re tired of it. They want answers, and they really want them." “Kisi aur ko gaali deke iss baar nahin chalega. In bachchon ke sawaal poochne aur vote dene ka time aa gaya hai.” Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh
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…
— Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) July 20, 2026
The couple also extended support to the students and said their voices deserve to be heard.
“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. Jai Hind. Genelia & Riteish Deshmukh #YouthOfIndia #VoiceOfTheYouth #FutureOfOurNation (sic),” they said in a joint statement.
Thalapathy Vijay
நீட் தேர்வு குளறுபடிகளை எதிர்த்து டெல்லியில் நடைபெற்ற இளைஞர்கள் போராட்டத்திற்கு ஆதரவாகக் களமிறங்கிய மக்களவை எதிர்க்கட்சித் தலைவர் திரு. ராகுல்காந்தி அவர்கள் உள்ளிட்ட தலைவர்கள் பலர் கைது செய்யப்பட்டது, ஜனநாயகத்திற்கு எதிரானது.
ஒன்றிய அரசின் இச்செயல்பாடுகள் கண்டிக்கத்தக்கவை.…
— TVK Vijay (@TVKVijayHQ) July 22, 2026
Actor-turned-politician and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Thalapathy Vijay has publicly backed the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests. In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, Vijay said, “As far as the NEET examination is concerned, TVK’s uncompromising stand is that the NEET examination system should be abolished entirely. We will never make false promises or indulge in vote-bank politics over the NEET issue. The examination has caused immense hardship not only to students but also to their families.”
Shabana Azmi
Veteran actor Shabana Azmi is also among the personalities to extend her support to the student protests over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak.
Azmi participated in the 'Chalo Sansad' march in New Delhi on July 20. Speaking to The Indian Express, the 75-year-old actor revealed that she suffered an asthma attack after being exposed to tear gas during the demonstration.
“I am an asthmatic and got an attack because of the tear gas, but I had my pump with me so I am ok now. I was respectfully escorted to a nearby building and after catching my breath, I went right back and spoke to the students who had been lathicharged. Their spirit is unprecedented. My salaams to all of them,” Azmi said.
Despite the health scare, Azmi said she recovered after using her inhaler and returned to the protest site to meet students who were injured during the police action.
Alia Bhatt
Alia Bhatt has also publicly expressed support for the students involved in the ongoing protests over the alleged NEET paper leak and the police action against demonstrators. In an Instagram post shared on Wednesday, Alia said, “The last few days have broken my heart and then mended it, again and again, with hope. Behind every student standing their ground is a dream, a family's hope, a journey of countless sacrifices. They represent not just themselves but everyone who has supported them, while creating a better path for those who will come after them.”
She went on to praise the protesters, adding, “Their courage humbles me. Their resolve is a mirror held up to all of us, asking whether we are truly listening to the very people who will inherit and shape this country's tomorrow. For the students. By the students. The future is theirs. Jai Hind.”
Huma Qureshi
The actress, who hasstepped out to support the Jantar Mantar protesters today with his rumoured boyfriend, also shared an Instagram post earlier saying that the situation could have been handled with much more patience.
“The visuals from today will stay with me for a very long time. Seeing peaceful protestors being met with such brute forces and lathis left me with a deep sense of sadness. This surely could have been handled with much more patience, more listening and more dialogue,” she said.
She added, “We, the people of India, elected this government and today we all need to ask questions and expect accountability. We are a huge diverse nation, we don't all have to agree on every issue, but surely we can agree that every citizen deserves to be heard with dignity before force becomes the response.”
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