CJP protest: Kareena Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Ananya Panday and more celebs extend support
New Delhi: After hundreds of students took to the streets to protest leaked NEET exam papers, marching from Jantar Mantar toward Parliament on Monday, July 20, a number of famous artists voiced their thoughts online and expressed solidarity with the students. Besides drawing attention to the issue, these stars spoke out against police using violence on peaceful protesters and stood in solidarity with the students who faced a lathi charge at the rally.
In their online posts, stars including , Sara Ali Khan, Ibrahim Ali Khan, Ananya Panday, Kareena Kapoor, and Varun Dhawan expressed their support for the y (CJP) protest and condemned against protesters during the July 20 rally in Delhi. Read on to see their exact posts.
Salman Khan
Posting on social media late Wednesday, Salman shared, “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 n see that the kids of our country have come together for a better educational system, and their parents supported them.”
He stated that the action taken by the students demonstrates their “dedication, sincerity, and keenness to study hard and make their future and a greater, educated India. This andolan, this protest, is the right way to go abt it, n the students have done this peacefully. So courageous and brave. Driven and motivated towards education, this generation will make India proud.”
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He also warned that the protest must not be taken over. “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, and I am sure the government will also give them all the support n make it a stronger educational system. It’s a win-win situation. Hoping n praying for a positive decision. God bless all of you who wanna be educated. Education should be the next trend and fashion, and should get trendier n more fashionable yr by yr, itna k bahar se log come to India to study and India becomes an educational hub.
Kareena Kapoor Khan
On Wednesday, Kareena Kapoor Khan posted on Instagram about how students are not just getting ready for the future, but they actually are the future. She started her post by writing, “I’ve sat with this for a few days, but I can’t sit with it any longer. The voices of so many young people asking to be heard are impossible to ignore… and they shouldn’t be. We all know what education means to a child. It gives them confidence; It gives them hope. It gives families proof that tomorrow can be better than today. But education only works if children believe in it. And they stop believing the moment they suspect that honesty, hard work and merit don’t actually count.”
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She further wrote, “No child should have to wonder if their effort will be enough. They deserve a system they can trust, where merit is real, effort is rewarded, and every child starts on equal footing. That isn’t a lot to ask. It’s the bare minimum. When an entire generation speaks with one voice about its own future, listening isn’t a courtesy we extend. It’s an obligation we owe them. Our children are watching us as closely as we watch them. How we respond now… not eventually, now… will tell them everything about whether fairness and trust are real, or just words adults use.”
Ibrahim Ali Khan
Posting a photo of the Indian flag on Instagram, Ibrahim Ali Khan expressed his thoughts by writing, “It’s difficult to see students and families caught up in unrest. No one should have to face fear or uncertainty while simply trying to pursue their education, let alone peaceful , legal protests. Whatever our individual opinions are, I hope everyone stays safe, that people are heard peacefully, and that the situation is resolved without more harm.
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Wishing everyone affected strength and hoping for a constructive way forward. Jai Hind”
Ananya Panday
Posting on Instagram, Ananya Panday put up a long message together with a photo of the Constitution of India and another image of a small child at the protest wearing a note taped to their back that said ‘Save My Future’. Her post read, “Gen Z has always been labelled … not all of them have been kind. But maybe this moment is reminding us who this generation really is. A generation that’s no longer willing to accept, “this is how it’s always been.” They’re not asking for shortcuts. They’re asking for fairness to be the bare minimum, not the exception. Questioning isn’t disrespect.
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Speaking up isn’t rebellion. It’s hope. It’s belief that things can be better. And that’s how change begins. 🙏 I love my country and its people Jai Hind”
Twinkle Khanna
Sharing four pictures from the recently held protests, Twinkle Khanna wrote, “Proud to belong to a country where our young people still have the courage to dissent, to push back, to brave tear gas and batons.
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The sad part is that they have to.”
Varun Dhawan
Varun Dhawan put up a post without any caption that said, “Students are the future of our country. When a student’s dream is crushed, it’s not just one dream that’s lost; it’s the dream of an entire family. They have every right to ask questions when they feel the system has failed them. Their voices deserve to be heard, protected, and addressed with sincerity.”
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His post further continued, “I appeal to the authorities to engage with these concerns and work towards a fair, transparent, and meaningful resolution that ensures accountability. I also sincerely hope this remains a students’ protest, the focus must remain on the issues affecting the students and the solutions they deserve. Peaceful protest is a democratic right, and every student should be allowed to exercise that right. Jai hind”
Nora Fatehi
Nora Fatehi, who made headlines recently for her World Cup song, posted a long note on Instagram to back the brave students and praise their courage. She added a caption to her post saying, “I’m in awe of the Students in India The bravery and resilience compel me to use my platform to raise awareness and support them with compassion and respect!”
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She further said, “I sincerely pray this opens up opportunity for the system to stand by the future of India, our youth! I pray for the safety of the students and I hope a real solution comes out of this! I hate seeing all the images of unrest coming out of India!” She ended her caption by writing, ”I love the country and its people dearly Jai hind”
Bipasha Basu
Bipasha also posted on the app, sharing a long and emotional message. In her post, she mentioned, “This is a young nation. The people out on the streets right now are tomorrow’s leaders, doctors, engineers, teachers – the ones who will actually run this country. In a democracy, they have every right to be heard. When lives are lost and dreams are shattered, accountability isn’t optional. It’s the bare minimum.”
The ‘Alone’ star mentioned how this problem could affect her own child’s future as well and wrote, “I think about this as a mother too. My child will grow up in this country. Her future is tied to what we do – or don’t do – right now. And that scares me sometimes. We need real solutions. Our children are already inheriting a harder, more uncertain world. If there’s one thing that can still change that, it’s education.”
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She continued, “It always has been. I don’t align myself with any political party. But I do believe this: the people we elect are given power by us, and that power comes with a responsibility to use it justly, efficiently, and for the people it’s meant to serve. I’m here as a mother, hoping for a better tomorrow.”
Sonakshi Sinha
Posting the photos, Sonakshi expressed, “20th July bohot logon ki haddiyaan tooti aur ek POORE DESH ka dil toota. Yaad rakhna.
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(July 20… many people suffered broken bones, and an entire nation’s heart broke. Remember that).”
Alia Bhatt
Posting on Instagram, Alia shared a note that pointed out the determination of the students and the sacrifices made in their effort to build a better education system.
She wrote, “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.”
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“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,” the Alpha actor said. ‘
Stars join nationwide student protests
Imran Khan
Actor Imran Khan joined a demonstration in Mumbai on Wednesday to show support for students protesting against the reported NEET exam leak and other test issues. He joined the gathering a day after speaking out against the police response to marchers at the ‘Chalo Sansad’ rally in Delhi.
At the Mumbai gathering, a young actor in attendance asked Imran how he felt about actors who stay out of political talks and believe art should be kept apart from politics.
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Replying directly, Imran disagreed with the thought that artists can separate their art from what they believe in. “True art is going to have an individual artist point of view embedded within it, and as part of our human nature, we are going to have opinions and perspectives that we hold true to ourselves. If you can’t stand by your opinions and if you do not pour your own heart into your art, your art has no value.”
His remarks came as some celebrities stayed quiet about the student protests, while others showed support by showing up in person or posting online.
Ayesha Khan
Actor Ayesha Khan was taken into police custody by Mumbai Police on Wednesday, July 22, as she tried to join a protest supporting students who are demanding changes in the education system. The demonstration started by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) began in Delhi and has since spread to several cities.
In clips uploaded to her Instagram Stories, Ayesha Khan looked noticeably upset. She stated that she reached the protest location around 4 pm to offer support and was waiting by the side of the road with two female friends after police put her brother and male friends into a vehicle. She mentioned that her group had not started demonstrating yet. They had not shouted any slogans. They were not holding up signs. They were just standing on the street.
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Ayesha posted a video showing officers pulling her into a police van while she kept asking why they were detaining her.
“My hands are literally shivering right now. I’ve been detained in the police van just for standing on the road peacefully. I didn’t say a word. I didn’t even start the protest. I was just standing because my brother, my male friends were detained and we were just standing on the road. Me and two of my other female friends,” she said.
Ayesha Khan stated that around 15 police officers, including female personnel, encircled her and her two friends before telling them to enter the police vehicle. She mentioned that she continuously asked why they were being taken into custody but got no reply. “I kept asking why we were being detained. We were just standing on the road. We hadn’t even started protesting. Nobody answered us,” she said.
Huma Qureshi
Huma Qureshi and her brother, actor Saqib Saleem, also participated in the student protest at Jantar Mantar early Thursday morning, showing their support for the ongoing movement. The actor siblings were spotted walking together with the students to stand by them. A clip posted by vlogger Syed Umair Ali showed the group walking among the protesters at Jantar Mantar.
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The time recorded on the video showed it was taken at 2:13 am.
Abish Mathew
Stand-up comedian Abish Mathew also participated in the demonstration in Mumbai and was taken into custody by the police alongside several students. Afterwards, posting on Instagram, he mentioned that he had reached home safely, expressed gratitude to everyone who checked on him, and showed his support for the movement.
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He wrote, “Friends, family & well wishers, Thank you so much for reaching out and offering help. I am safe and I’m back home! To the best of my knowledge, I & my batch of detainees were treated with respect. I appreciate the cops at the station, who did not make it a scary environment, fed us & kept us relaxed. But just wanted to say how proud I am of everyone who turned up, especially my comedian friends. I know I’ll have more to say & share tomorrow but for now I’ll end with this: If fear was the weapon they’ve used to scare us, then I’m afraid they’ve only fooled us.”
Curated by – Shahira Siddiqui