Cinema VinesA delegation from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) met Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda amid a protest that attempted to march to Parliament on Monday. The protest, which gathered near Parliament Street in New Delhi, was aimed at demanding accountability for alleged examination irregularities and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
During the first day of the Monsoon Session, BJP MP Hema Malini was seen speaking to the media at the Parliament premises. In a clip shared by ANI, she urged the protesters to engage in dialogue rather than staging disruptive demonstrations. “If there is a problem, it should be discussed properly. Protesting in this manner won’t achieve anything,” she said. She added that the Modi government has always supported the country’s youth and education system, and that the current protests “make no sense at all.”
Malini called on students to break their hunger strikes and participate in constructive conversations. She declined to comment on the demand for Pradhan’s resignation, but emphasized that issues should be resolved through discussion. The MP’s remarks came as thousands of demonstrators, some on indefinite hunger strikes, were met with a baton charge by security forces.
The protest attracted several prominent figures. On Sunday, actors Prakash Raj, Shabana Azmi and Poonam Pandey joined the CJP at Jantar Mantar, chanting for the cause. Prakash posted a video of himself on stage with CJP members, while Azmi kissed the hand of a protester on a hunger strike. Pandey clarified that the movement was about students affected by alleged discrepancies in the NEET exams, not politics or religion.
On Monday, Shabana Azmi and Prakash Raj helped students on indefinite hunger strikes, including Sonam Wangchuk, break their fast. Celebrities such as Hrithik Roshan, Sonakshi Sinha and Chinmayi Sripaada also expressed solidarity with Wangchuk online. Later, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke ended his hunger strike at the request of activist Sonam Wangchuk.
