After the University of Delhi issued an advisory asking students to steer clear of the protests taking place across the city and avoid Jantar Mantar, actor-director Pooja Bhatt strongly criticised the move. She argued that the institution should stand up for students’ “right to speak” instead of trying to suppress it.
DU asks students to avoid unlawful assemblies
On Thursday, Delhi University put out an advisory on social media asking all students to avoid “unlawful assemblies,” including the protest at Jantar Mantar demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. The message read, “Dear students and faculty, your safety matters to us. Please note that any unlawful assemblies or demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, which are strictly regulated as per the directives of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, may invite legal action. Such activities can also pose serious risks to students’ personal safety and significantly impact their academic progress and professional opportunities. Accordingly, all students are urged to stay away from Jantar Mantar and to prioritise their safety and compliance with the law. Furthermore, you are advised to exercise caution as a significant amount of fake and misleading content is being created and circulated to fuel the situation.”
Pooja Bhatt criticises DU’s advisory against protests
A few hours later, Pooja Bhatt reacted to DU’s message by sharing it on Twitter (now X), she wrote, “The students safety is more in jeopardy if their voices are suppressed. If we are truly invested in their future, we must support their right to speak out rather than maintain a conspiracy of silence.”
Pooja Bhatt’s remarks come amid nationwide Jantar Mantar protests
At Jantar Mantar, New Delhi’s designated protest site, thousands of young demonstrators, rallied by the Cockroach Janta Party, have gathered to demand Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the education system, including the NEET exam paper leak. The protests aren’t limited to the capital either, having spread to dozens of other Indian cities such as Mumbai and Bengaluru. “This movement will not stop until we get the resignation of Pradhan,” the CJP said in a post on X. “We will fight together, we will win together.” For his part, Pradhan has responded defiantly to the protests, accusing the Congress party of using “students as political tools to manufacture disruption.”
Sonam Wangchuk ends hunger strike
Sonam Wangchuk, the educator who had been fasting in solidarity with the protesting students for over 20 days, broke his hunger strike early Friday morning. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a statement noting that those accused in the NEET leak case have been arrested and that fast-track courts are being set up to ensure the case moves forward quickly.
