Cinema VinesVeteran actress Shabana Azmi, 75, was caught in a sudden asthma attack during the ‘Chalo Sansad’ march organized by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Monday, as the protest unfolded on the opening day of Parliament’s monsoon session in Delhi. The tear gas fired by security forces triggered the episode, but Azmi managed to recover quickly with her inhaler and returned to the rally site to stand with the students who had been lathi‑charged.
In an interview with Indian Express’s Subhash K Jha, Azmi explained that she had been “respectfully escorted to a nearby building” after the attack, after which she “caught her breath” and re‑joined the demonstrators. She praised the students’ resolve, saying, “Their spirit is unprecedented. My salaams to all of them.” Azmi emphasized that her participation was not a political endorsement; she has never been affiliated with any party and does not intend to be.
The actress highlighted the students’ demands for comprehensive education reform, including a 6 percent allocation of the GDP to the sector. She urged the government to listen to the youth and to avoid crushing their hope, adding, “Unka hausla badhaiye isse crush karne ki koshish mat kijiye.” Azmi and her husband, lyricist Javed Akhtar, had already addressed the issue in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting a dialogue with education reformer Sonam Wangchuk.
During the march, Azmi shared images on social media and called for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, while demanding accountability over alleged examination irregularities. Her presence was one of the few high‑profile Bollywood figures to join the CJP protest, underscoring the widespread concern over the state of India’s education system.
