Indian celebrities voice support for India's Cockroach Janta Party protests

Several prominent Indian celebrities voiced their support for the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests in New Delhi, urging authorities to listen to the demands of the protesting students.

Singers, actors, and filmmakers including Diljit Dosanjh, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Shabana Azmi, and Pooja Bhatt, are among the figures who expressed solidarity with the youth-led movement, condemning the crackdown which entailed police attacking the protesters with batons.

Singer Diljit Dosanjh shared an Instagram story in both Punjabi and English in support of the students. "What happened today was really sad," he said. Dosanjh added, "Students shouldn’t have been treated this way. I request the authorities to listen to the demands of the students."

Screengrab: diljitdosanjh/Instagram

The singer further revealed that he had been "tagged as an anti-nationalist on many occasions," saying, "Even now, I will be called an anti-nationalist." According to Gulf News, Dosanjh also participated in farmers' protests at Delhi's Singhu Border in December 2022. Regarding this, the singer wrote, "After the farmers' protest, I faced a lot of backlash and legal problems which I can’t even discuss."

He concluded, "Rest, God is watching everything."

Actor Sonakshi Sinha also showed her support by resharing various videos on her Instagram stories, highlighting students' concerns and alleged incidents of police brutality.

"If this doesn’t wake you up and make you want to do SOMETHING… tweet, post, protest, anything… you are DEAD. Just like this 'Democracy'," she wrote under one of the posts she shared.

Screengrabs: aslisona/Instagram

The actor also stressed the importance of mainstream media coverage, encouraging her followers to stay informed by following journalists and news outlets reporting from the ground.

Screengrabs: aslisona/Instagram

Actor Aditi Rao Hydari, in an Instagram story, called for respect and a safe environment for students. "We must ensure a safe environment built on respect, dignity, and empathy for all our brave students, and for all the determined voices seeking to be heard, with a genuine commitment to constructive dialogue," she said.

The actor added, "Listening to one another is the foundation of meaningful progress."

Screengrab: aditiraohydari/Instagram

Filmmaker Pooja Bhatt also emphasised the importance of the right to peaceful protest, saying it was "a sacred and fundamental right."

She also noted, "Every police officer and government official blindly following orders to attack India's innocent students should keep in mind: The Constitution is your master. Power is not permanent. Accountability will follow."

Screengrab: Poojab1972/Instagram

Among the celebrities, veteran actor Shabana Azmi chose to attend the protest in person, demonstrating her support for the movement.

"Declaring the truth invites the threat of the scaffold and the rope. Yet the real question is: what lies beyond the scaffold and the rope?" Shabana captioned a video shared from the post.

She explained the meaning behind the quote, writing, "The couplet reflects on the cost of speaking the truth. It acknowledges that standing for truth may lead to persecution or even death ('the gallows and the noose'), but then asks a deeper question: What happens after that?"

"Depending on interpretation," she said, "it can suggest that truth outlives oppression, that martyrdom is not the end, or that those who wield punishment cannot ultimately silence the truth."

Nearly 180 people were injured and taken to nearby state-run hospitals on Monday, with a majority of them discharged after first-aid, after clashes between the protesters and security personnel in which police used cane charges and tear gas.

The support of prominent figures demonstrates how the CJP movement has resonated beyond politics, with members of India's entertainment industry using their platforms to amplify students' voices and call for accountability, peaceful dialogue, and meaningful action.