CJP Protest: Diljit Dosanjh, Shabana Azmi, Bhumi Pednekar & More Voice Their Support Through Social Media
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests have been escalating every passing day, sparking conversations online. The students and protesters are demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG question paper leak earlier this year. After days of Sonam Wangchuk and other students’ hunger strike, several actors and veteran celebrities took to their social media handles to voice their support, demand accountability, and call for peaceful dialogue on education reforms.
Sonu Sood, Vir Das, Dia Mirza, Diljit Dosanjh, Shabana Azmi, Anurag Kashyap, Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh, and others have extended support to the CJP-led protest and condemned police violence. Here’s what they have to say.
Celebrities and Film Personalities Publicly Backed the CJP Protest at Jantar Mantar
On Monday, July 20, B’town actress Shabana Azmi joined the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP)’s Chalo Sansad March towards Parliament in Delhi. Later in the day, she shared a post on social media showing herself and veteran actor Prakash Raj in a truck with the protesters. She stated, “All of us who are here have come for a peaceful protest, to exercise the right granted to us by our country’s Constitution. Mahatma Gandhi taught us how to conduct a peaceful protest, and we have come here on that very foundation. We have absolutely no intention of causing any kind of violence, and we stand here firmly in that hope.”
Celebrity reactions came amid visuals of police action and violence against demonstrators. Actors Bhumi Pednekar took to her social media feed and shared a detailed post which read, “Violence is not the answer.” She also urged that the focus remain on the students affected by gaps in the education system. She acknowledged the progress made in the education sector in recent years, including the increase in the number of universities and seats. However, she also stated that students whose futures had been put at risk deserved answers. “While I may not agree with everything that has been said at the protest, I strongly believe that meaningful dialogue is where reform begins.” she added.
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
On Tuesday morning, Punjabi actor and singer Diljit Dosanjh wrote “Whatever happened is sad. Students should not be treated like this.” Calling the “voice of the people” the “voice of God”, Dosanjh urged authorities to “listen to the students’ grievances”. Actor couple Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D’Souza also expressed solidarity with the protesters on X. They stated, “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.”
Some celebrities and renowned artists posted an Instagram story including, Sonu Sood who called for compassion towards students, while Vir Das urged fellow artists to stand with young people instead of remaining silent. On the other hand, Huma Qureshi expressed that the visuals from the protest would stay with her “for a very long time”. She shared witnessing peaceful protesters met with “such brute force and lathis” had left her with “a deep sense of sadness“.
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