Cinema VinesActor Prakash Raj has become one of the earliest public figures to back the protests of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), a student movement that began a strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi over alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) exam. Raj’s support has been visible both on the ground and on social media, as he met with the movement’s prominent activist, Sonam Wangchuk, and has repeatedly expressed his solidarity with the cause.
On Thursday, after 26 days of fasting, Wangchuk ended his hunger strike. He posted a message on X, noting that he had broken the fast in the presence of Union Minister JP Nadda, Dr. Jitendra Singh, and senior leaders from the Apex Body of Leh Ladakh, following extensive negotiations and the urging of 65 members of parliament from various parties. Wangchuk warned that the country should remain vigilant against any violence and promised to explain the conditions of his break in a forthcoming video.
Raj, who had joined Wangchuk and the CJP at Jantar Mantar earlier that month, reposted the activist’s tweet and added, “Thank you @Wangchuk66 sir for your sacrifice and for being the conscience of the nation.” He also shared photos from the protest, captioning them with “In solidarity with the youngsters of my country at #JantarMantar @Wangchuk66 @Cockroachisback #justasking.” The images showed Raj speaking to the demonstrators, interacting with them, and posing alongside Wangchuk.
Beyond the social media posts, the actor has publicly called for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper irregularities. When asked why other Bollywood stars had remained silent, Raj told PeekTV that the world is watching and that those who speak are the ones who will be remembered. He added that the movement reveals who has integrity and who will stand for the people, and that the industry’s silence will not be forgotten by future generations.
Alongside Raj, other celebrities such as Shabana Azmi and Poonam Pandey joined the protest march on Monday. The article also notes that well‑known figures like Hrithik Roshan, Vishal Dadlani, Sonakshi Sinha, and Chi have not yet taken a public stance on the issue.
