Imran Khan joins Mumbai student protest after police action: ‘This is the fight for the future of our nation’
Huma Qureshi and Saqib Saleem also joined the protests
Actor Imran Khan has joined the growing wave of celebrity support for students protesting over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination process, appearing alongside demonstrators at a large gathering in Mumbai on Wednesday.
The protest at Shivaji Park in Dadar was held in solidarity with students demonstrating at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and followed the police action during Monday’s Chalo Sansad March. Students and supporters marched together, calling for reforms in the education system, with Imran among those who joined the demonstration.
Videos from the protest have since circulated widely on Instagram, showing the actor walking with students, smiling as supporters recognised him, stopping for selfies and greeting people along the route.
Speaking to The IV Pillar News, Imran explained why he had chosen to take part.
“I’m here to show support with all of the students, who work hard and whose hard work was invalidated and discarded. I’m here because this is the fight for the future of our nation. All the students of Mother India are here today, and I’m here to show my support to them.”
His appearance came a day after he sharply criticised the police action at the Chalo Sansad March in an Instagram post.
“Something broke in me today. Watching as police gassed and battered student protestors… how could I make sense of this? These students who worked hard, only to be failed by the system. These people who asked to be heard, only to be met with silence. These citizens who stood up to show what matters to them… beaten down and disowned by the establishment.”
The actor was not the only celebrity to publicly stand with the protesters.
Early on Thursday, Huma Qureshi and her brother, actor Saqib Saleem, joined students at Jantar Mantar. A video shared by vlogger Syed Umair Ali showed the siblings walking alongside protesters, with the timestamp indicating that the footage was recorded at 2:13 am.
Singer Mika Singh has also spoken out in support of the students, saying the right to question those in power is fundamental to a democracy.
“I have been following the protests for several days and believe every Indian citizen has the democratic right to express their views and question those in authority. People ask questions from us too. The protests had remained peaceful for days, but the recent police action left me shocked as innocent students trying to secure their future were subjected to violence.”
He added: “I saw young boys and even girls getting hit. I understand the authorities may suspect outsiders among the protesters, but that cannot justify violence against students, especially young women. How can society advocate women’s safety while simultaneously using force against female protesters? This is wrong.”
Mika further said: “The validity of the students’ demands can be debated later, but physically dragging and beating women and then smiling is unacceptable. Society reserves such harsh treatment for criminals like rapists and gangsters. So, it’s difficult to understand why students were being handled similarly.”
The demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), have intensified in recent weeks amid educator and environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike, which has now entered its 25th day.
On Monday, students from across the country gathered in New Delhi and marched towards Parliament as the Monsoon Session began. The Delhi Police stopped the march, leading to clashes and a police response that sparked widespread criticism and debate online.
The protesters are seeking a dialogue with the Central government and have called for several changes, including the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak and other alleged irregularities in the examination process.
