Cinema VinesActor Vijay Varma used his Instagram Stories on Monday to broadcast footage of the Chalo Sansad march that turned violent in New Delhi. The protest, aimed at demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET exam, saw Delhi Police deploy tear gas and lathi charges against demonstrators. Varma’s posts included a clip of a policeman lifting a lathi as students climbed trees to escape, and a GIF of himself sipping a drink while wearing sunglasses, captioned “Chup chap bhi unfollow kar sakte ho..sab batana nahi hota” – a rebuke to followers who threatened to unfollow him for his support of the march.
In addition to the protest footage, Varma amplified a video shared by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) that showed protesters being beaten while attempting to reach a barricade. Earlier that week, the actor had already criticized political figures, posting images of Education Minister Pradhan and BJP leader Gajendra Chauhan with the caption “Do bhai dono tabahi,” labeling them “agents of destruction.” He also reposted a message from Zeenat Aman supporting fellow activist Sonam Wangchuk.
The CJP, which has been staging demonstrations at Jantar Mantar since last month, issued an apology on X (formerly Twitter) after the police crackdown. Founder Abhijeet Dipke wrote, “I apologise to all our supporters, especially the girls who were brutally beaten by male police officers. We could have done better. I could have done better to protect you from the inhumane actions of the Delhi Police.” He added that injured protesters could DM him for a personal apology and that the party would continue fighting for them.
Varma’s outspoken stance, coupled with his criticism of political leaders and his defense of the protestors, has drawn mixed reactions from his fan base. While some followers expressed support, others threatened to unfollow him, prompting the actor’s pointed response. The incident underscores the growing intersection of celebrity influence and political activism in India’s current protest landscape.
