Cinema VinesActor Abhishek Banerjee took to the streets of Goa on Friday night to join a growing wave of student protests that began in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and have spread across the country. The rally, held at Lohia Maidan in Mapusa, saw thousands of young people chanting slogans such as “Inquilab Zindabad” and “Vande Mataram” while demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET exam paper leak and other alleged examination malpractices.
During the protest, Banerjee held a banner that read “Modi ji, change your DP (Dharmendra Pradhan)” and spoke to reporters about the anger he felt among the youth. He said he was “moved by the growing anger among young people across the country” and that he wanted to stand beside them. “Yesterday when I told people that I am going to Goa to protest, they were quite surprised that how come Goans are protesting,” he told the media. “Goa is such a laid‑back place, but that’s the kind of angst and anger I think the youth has.”
Banerjee urged people to leave their jobs and homes to support the students’ demands, arguing that “if we don’t stand up right now, our future is going to be destroyed.” He added that he was grateful to be in Goa for the protest, thanks to his wife’s support, and wanted to show that “not all actors are silent.” The actor’s appearance added a high‑profile voice to a movement that has already seen protests in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and in Panaji’s Azad Maidan.
The Lohia Maidan rally began at 7 pm and lasted nearly two hours, ending peacefully at 9 pm. Protesters raised slogans calling for Pradhan’s resignation and demanding reforms in India’s education sector. The movement, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has now attracted widespread attention and support from young people across the country, who see the NEET paper leak scandal as a symptom of a larger systemic problem in the education system.
