Cinema VinesOn Monday, around 50,000 demonstrators gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protest, led by the youth‑driven Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), had been camped at the site for a month and escalated when the group announced a march to Parliament. Police responded with tear gas and lathi charges, forcing the crowd back and sparking clashes that left several protesters injured.
Actor Saumya Tandon, who recently appeared in Aditya Dhar’s film Dhurandhar The Revenge, took to her X account to condemn the police tactics. She wrote that “the scenes from the student protests are deeply disturbing” and that “excessive force against peaceful protesters should not be justified.” Tandon urged the government to engage in dialogue rather than confrontation, noting that “a democracy is strongest when disagreements are met with dialogue, not confrontation.”
The CJP’s demands center on alleged irregularities in the education system, particularly accusations that the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) paper was leaked. The group’s leaders, including social activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, have called for Pradhan’s resignation. While the protest turned violent as demonstrators marched toward Parliament, Delhi Police claimed the crowd was aggressive and refused to disperse despite warnings.
Several public figures, such as Shabana Azmi, Pratibha Ranta, and Prakash Raj, have voiced support for the students. After meeting with central government representatives on Tuesday, the agitation continues, with protesters insisting that police use of force was indiscriminate and that their grievances remain unaddressed.
