Cinema VinesOn Saturday, actress Jyotika publicly backed the student movement led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has been rallying against alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, most notably the NEET paper leak. In a post on Instagram, she urged Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign, stating that she stands for accountability and a reformed education system.
Jyotika’s message read, “Step down Dharmendra Pradhan. Resign. I stand with the students and future of our nation! I stand with accountability! I stand for a democratic India! I stand for a reformed education!” She also praised the CJP for uniting people across the country and thanked the movement for breaking the pressure and making people fearless. The post was captioned “Jai Hind.”
The protest, which has been ongoing for nearly a month, began at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and has drawn support from a wide array of celebrities, including Alia Bhatt, Salman Khan, Huma Qureshi, and many others. Students and activists such as Sonam Wangchuk have joined the march, even undertaking hunger strikes to press their demands.
On July 20, the CJP called for a march from Jantar Mantar to Parliament, attracting thousands of participants. The movement seeks not only the minister’s resignation but also sweeping reforms to India’s education system.
Jyotika, who is married to actor Suriya and has two children—daughter Diya and son Dev—used her platform to highlight the importance of accountability and democratic values in education.
