Mumbai, July 21
Television celebrities including Niharika Chouksey, Mahhi Vij, Adrija Roy, and others have expressed concern over the alleged use of violence against young protesters during the CJP protest march.
Niharika told IANS, “It is both powerful and heartening to see young people actively participating in shaping their future. Students and the youth are the backbone of our nation; their energy, dreams, and trust drive the country forward. When they come forward to raise concerns about something as critical as competitive exams—which directly impact their careers and livelihoods—it shows they care deeply about fairness and merit.”
Their voices deserve to be heard with respect, empathy, and utmost seriousness. To restore trust, we need absolute transparency, swift accountability, and robust structural reforms. The examination system must operate with foolproof technology and strict independent oversight to eliminate any room for malpractice. When errors or irregularities occur, the response from authorities must be immediate and transparent. Students need to know that their hard work is protected and that the system values merit above everything else.”
‘Anupamaa’ actress Adrija Roy shared, “I think young people should never be made to feel that their voice doesn't matter. If students genuinely believe something is unfair, they have every right to question it through peaceful and democratic means. We always encourage the younger generation to become responsible citizens, and responsibility also means speaking up when something feels wrong. Staying silent out of fear doesn't help anyone.”
“Students dedicate years of hard work, sacrifice their time, and carry immense pressure while preparing for these exams. If there are allegations of irregularities, they deserve to be investigated fairly and transparently. People don't expect perfection—they expect honesty, accountability, and timely action.”
In her latest post on Instagram, Mahhi stressed the importance of dialogue, empathy, and respecting the right to express one’s views in a democracy. The ‘Seher – Hone Ko Hai’ actress wrote, “My heart aches and I feel completely broken seeing young kids being beaten so brutally. This is not what anyone was asking for. This is not about who is protesting, who is angry, who is doing what, or who is on which side. But when you see children being beaten, injured and subjected to a brutal lathi charge, you cannot stay silent.”
“Who is doing the protest? Who is creating the chaos? Who is getting ugly? These questions can be asked and answered. But tell me — is beating up kids, breaking their heads and using violence against them the answer? Is this what democracy has come to? Democracy is about the right to speak. The right to question. The right to protest. The right to be heard. And if there is a problem, there are laws and systems to deal with it. But violence against children and young people can never be the solution.”
Mahhi Vij added, “These are somebody’s children. Somebody’s sons and daughters. Somebody’s families who are sitting at home, terrified and praying for their safety. We may disagree with a protest. We may disagree with the people protesting. We may disagree with their methods. But we should never lose our humanity.”
“No child deserves to be beaten. No parent should have to watch their child being hurt. And no country should ever make violence against its own young people look normal. This is not what we were asking for. We were asking to be heard,” she concluded.
The Cockroach Janta Party’s ‘Chalo Sansad’ march towards Parliament witnessed clashes after police reportedly prevented protesters from moving ahead. Security personnel allegedly used tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd, and several students were taken into custody. The demonstration was held over alleged irregularities in the NEET medical entrance examination, with protesters also demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The march took place amid activist Sonam Wangchuk’s ongoing indefinite hunger strike, during which he was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital by the Delhi Police.
