Cinema VinesActor‑filmmaker Pooja Bhatt has publicly condemned Delhi University’s recent advisory, which warned students against attending protests at Jantar Mantar. The university’s message, posted on social media on Thursday, cautioned that “unlawful assemblies” at the historic site could lead to legal action and pose safety risks to students, urging them to stay away and comply with Supreme Court directives.
In response, Bhatt took to X (formerly Twitter) to share the university’s warning and added her own critique: “The students’ safety is more in jeopardy if their voices are suppressed. If we are truly invested in their future, we must support their right to speak out rather than maintain a conspiracy of silence.” She argued that the institution’s duty should be to protect students’ right to dissent, not to silence them.
The advisory comes amid a wave of demonstrations across Delhi and other Indian cities, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Tens of thousands of young protesters have gathered at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the education system, including a NEET exam paper leak. The CJP’s statement on X vowed that the movement would continue until Pradhan stepped down, while Pradhan accused the opposition of using students as political tools.
In addition to the protests, educator Sonam Wangchuk ended a 20‑day hunger strike in solidarity with the students. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that those accused in the NEET leak had been arrested and that fast‑track courts would be established to expedite the case. The situation has drawn sharp criticism from civil society and the film industry, with Pooja Bhatt’s remarks adding fuel to the debate over student rights and institutional responsibility.
