Young people bleeding on the road: Actor Amol Parashar recalls CJP protest horror
Amol Parashar has shared his experience of attending CJP's Chalo Sansad march, saying the sight of "young people bleeding on the road" continues to haunt him. The actor recalled crying after witnessing the police action and praised the students for their empathy, resilience and unity.
Actor Amol Parashar has opened up about attending the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) Chalo Sansad march at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. He said the sight of "young people bleeding on the road" after the police action continues to haunt him. Sharing an emotional note on Instagram, the actor revealed that he quietly joined the protest as a fellow citizen, recalled crying himself to sleep after witnessing the violence, and questioned the treatment of the country's youth.
On Tuesday, Amol reflected on his experience at the July 20 protest by sharing a note on Instagram. He described it as "a day I will never forget" and said he chose not to publicise his presence because he wanted to listen to the students rather than draw attention to himself.
The actor began his note by writing, “I was at Jantar Mantar on 20th July, 2026. A day I will never forget. Why did I go? There was a deep itch within me for the last 3-4 days which I just couldn’t shake off (sic)."
He added, "Being brought up in a middle-class Indian household the value and importance of education is not lost on me. A fair and competent system to support young talent being an important part of nation building and society building, is not lost on me (sic).”
The 39-year-old actor also revealed that messages from students in the days leading up to the protest, filled with "love, respect and hope", repeatedly brought him to tears.
Explaining why he kept his participation private, the actor wrote, “I just wanted to be there for these young kids, stand with them, stand among them – as nothing but a fellow citizen. I did not want to be recognised, I didn’t want any stage or camera, didn’t want to make a speech or reel, because I didn’t want it to be about me. I wanted to listen to them (sic).”
Although he wore a mask, sunglasses and a cap, a few people still recognised him. According to Amol, they greeted him with smiles, handshakes and fist bumps while respecting his privacy.
He jokingly remarked that such courtesy must have come from "some foreign influence," adding that earlier generations rarely displayed similar behaviour.
'The protest was filled with hope'
Recalling the hours before the police action, Amol said the atmosphere was peaceful and hopeful. He described seeing young people smiling, singing, asking questions and holding each other's hands through the crowd. Despite Delhi's reputation regarding women's safety, he said he did not witness any misbehaviour or inappropriate conduct.
He also praised the students for quietly taking responsibility for one another and cleaning up after others without seeking recognition.
Responding to claims that the protesters were being influenced by outside forces, Amol used sarcasm to question the narrative. He said the mutual respect shown by the youngsters must have been a foreign influence, adding that previous generations had only taught people to look out for themselves.
He further wrote, “They were not all NEET aspirants. That’s true. Most of them were from other fields of study, various colleges, streams, courses so I was pretty sure if I asked them the full form of NEET, some would stumble. Some were too young or too old to be directly affected by NEET. What was their motivation to be there then? Which foreign influence was making them care about other people who they didn’t know personally? Which foreign influence is trying to make sure that exams are fair in our country and our elected leaders are accountable to the public (sic)?”
The actor argued that education is not only about gaining knowledge and skills but also about developing critical and independent thinking.
Continuing his sarcastic remarks, he said that if those values were being questioned, it must be "some foreign propaganda." He added that the state then decided it had had enough of these "foreign influenced" children and cracked down on them so that "these ideas could escape from the hole in their skull."
'Young people bleeding on the road'
Describing the aftermath of the police action, Amol wrote, “Young people bleeding on the road, their friends crying for help. Some just shocked and in disbelief, asking the cops ‘hum aapke bacche nahi hain kya?’. They came asking for better education, they left with a harsh lesson: no one cares about you (sic).”
The actor said the scenes stayed with him long after he returned home. He recalled crying that night while thinking about students who may have reached home physically and emotionally broken, only to be branded "Pakistanis", "paid agents", "Chinese agents" and "foreign hands" by fellow citizens.
The Gram Chikitsalay actor also questioned what such accusations could do to the minds of young people and whether they would lose hope in the country.
Ending his note, he said he wished he could hug every student and remind them that they were loved, cherished and appreciated. He also thanked them for teaching him the values of empathy, responsibility, mutual respect and standing up for humanity and their rights.
All about the protest
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has been protesting at Jantar Mantar since June 6, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over irregularities in competitive examinations. Educator and activist Sonam Wangchuk later joined the agitation and launched an indefinite hunger strike.
On July 20, protesters marched towards Parliament as part of the Chalo Sansad campaign, which drew support from several public figures, including Shabana Azmi, Prakash Raj, Hanumankind and Amol Parashar.
Actor Amol Parashar has opened up about attending the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) Chalo Sansad march at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. He said the sight of "young people bleeding on the road" after the police action continues to haunt him. Sharing an emotional note on Instagram, the actor revealed that he quietly joined the protest as a fellow citizen, recalled crying himself to sleep after witnessing the violence, and questioned the treatment of the country's youth.
On Tuesday, Amol reflected on his experience at the July 20 protest by sharing a note on Instagram. He described it as "a day I will never forget" and said he chose not to publicise his presence because he wanted to listen to the students rather than draw attention to himself.
The actor began his note by writing, “I was at Jantar Mantar on 20th July, 2026. A day I will never forget. Why did I go? There was a deep itch within me for the last 3-4 days which I just couldn’t shake off (sic)."
He added, "Being brought up in a middle-class Indian household the value and importance of education is not lost on me. A fair and competent system to support young talent being an important part of nation building and society building, is not lost on me (sic).”
The 39-year-old actor also revealed that messages from students in the days leading up to the protest, filled with "love, respect and hope", repeatedly brought him to tears.
Explaining why he kept his participation private, the actor wrote, “I just wanted to be there for these young kids, stand with them, stand among them – as nothing but a fellow citizen. I did not want to be recognised, I didn’t want any stage or camera, didn’t want to make a speech or reel, because I didn’t want it to be about me. I wanted to listen to them (sic).”
Although he wore a mask, sunglasses and a cap, a few people still recognised him. According to Amol, they greeted him with smiles, handshakes and fist bumps while respecting his privacy.
He jokingly remarked that such courtesy must have come from "some foreign influence," adding that earlier generations rarely displayed similar behaviour.
'The protest was filled with hope'
Recalling the hours before the police action, Amol said the atmosphere was peaceful and hopeful. He described seeing young people smiling, singing, asking questions and holding each other's hands through the crowd. Despite Delhi's reputation regarding women's safety, he said he did not witness any misbehaviour or inappropriate conduct.
He also praised the students for quietly taking responsibility for one another and cleaning up after others without seeking recognition.
Responding to claims that the protesters were being influenced by outside forces, Amol used sarcasm to question the narrative. He said the mutual respect shown by the youngsters must have been a foreign influence, adding that previous generations had only taught people to look out for themselves.
He further wrote, “They were not all NEET aspirants. That’s true. Most of them were from other fields of study, various colleges, streams, courses so I was pretty sure if I asked them the full form of NEET, some would stumble. Some were too young or too old to be directly affected by NEET. What was their motivation to be there then? Which foreign influence was making them care about other people who they didn’t know personally? Which foreign influence is trying to make sure that exams are fair in our country and our elected leaders are accountable to the public (sic)?”
The actor argued that education is not only about gaining knowledge and skills but also about developing critical and independent thinking.
Continuing his sarcastic remarks, he said that if those values were being questioned, it must be "some foreign propaganda." He added that the state then decided it had had enough of these "foreign influenced" children and cracked down on them so that "these ideas could escape from the hole in their skull."
'Young people bleeding on the road'
Describing the aftermath of the police action, Amol wrote, “Young people bleeding on the road, their friends crying for help. Some just shocked and in disbelief, asking the cops ‘hum aapke bacche nahi hain kya?’. They came asking for better education, they left with a harsh lesson: no one cares about you (sic).”
The actor said the scenes stayed with him long after he returned home. He recalled crying that night while thinking about students who may have reached home physically and emotionally broken, only to be branded "Pakistanis", "paid agents", "Chinese agents" and "foreign hands" by fellow citizens.
The Gram Chikitsalay actor also questioned what such accusations could do to the minds of young people and whether they would lose hope in the country.
Ending his note, he said he wished he could hug every student and remind them that they were loved, cherished and appreciated. He also thanked them for teaching him the values of empathy, responsibility, mutual respect and standing up for humanity and their rights.
All about the protest
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has been protesting at Jantar Mantar since June 6, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over irregularities in competitive examinations. Educator and activist Sonam Wangchuk later joined the agitation and launched an indefinite hunger strike.
On July 20, protesters marched towards Parliament as part of the Chalo Sansad campaign, which drew support from several public figures, including Shabana Azmi, Prakash Raj, Hanumankind and Amol Parashar.
Actor Amol Parashar has opened up about attending the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) Chalo Sansad march at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. He said the sight of "young people bleeding on the road" after the police action continues to haunt him. Sharing an emotional note on Instagram, the actor revealed that he quietly joined the protest as a fellow citizen, recalled crying himself to sleep after witnessing the violence, and questioned the treatment of the country's youth.
On Tuesday, Amol reflected on his experience at the July 20 protest by sharing a note on Instagram. He described it as "a day I will never forget" and said he chose not to publicise his presence because he wanted to listen to the students rather than draw attention to himself.
The actor began his note by writing, “I was at Jantar Mantar on 20th July, 2026. A day I will never forget. Why did I go? There was a deep itch within me for the last 3-4 days which I just couldn’t shake off (sic)."
He added, "Being brought up in a middle-class Indian household the value and importance of education is not lost on me. A fair and competent system to support young talent being an important part of nation building and society building, is not lost on me (sic).”
The 39-year-old actor also revealed that messages from students in the days leading up to the protest, filled with "love, respect and hope", repeatedly brought him to tears.
Explaining why he kept his participation private, the actor wrote, “I just wanted to be there for these young kids, stand with them, stand among them – as nothing but a fellow citizen. I did not want to be recognised, I didn’t want any stage or camera, didn’t want to make a speech or reel, because I didn’t want it to be about me. I wanted to listen to them (sic).”
Although he wore a mask, sunglasses and a cap, a few people still recognised him. According to Amol, they greeted him with smiles, handshakes and fist bumps while respecting his privacy.
He jokingly remarked that such courtesy must have come from "some foreign influence," adding that earlier generations rarely displayed similar behaviour.
'The protest was filled with hope'
Recalling the hours before the police action, Amol said the atmosphere was peaceful and hopeful. He described seeing young people smiling, singing, asking questions and holding each other's hands through the crowd. Despite Delhi's reputation regarding women's safety, he said he did not witness any misbehaviour or inappropriate conduct.
He also praised the students for quietly taking responsibility for one another and cleaning up after others without seeking recognition.
Responding to claims that the protesters were being influenced by outside forces, Amol used sarcasm to question the narrative. He said the mutual respect shown by the youngsters must have been a foreign influence, adding that previous generations had only taught people to look out for themselves.
He further wrote, “They were not all NEET aspirants. That’s true. Most of them were from other fields of study, various colleges, streams, courses so I was pretty sure if I asked them the full form of NEET, some would stumble. Some were too young or too old to be directly affected by NEET. What was their motivation to be there then? Which foreign influence was making them care about other people who they didn’t know personally? Which foreign influence is trying to make sure that exams are fair in our country and our elected leaders are accountable to the public (sic)?”
The actor argued that education is not only about gaining knowledge and skills but also about developing critical and independent thinking.
Continuing his sarcastic remarks, he said that if those values were being questioned, it must be "some foreign propaganda." He added that the state then decided it had had enough of these "foreign influenced" children and cracked down on them so that "these ideas could escape from the hole in their skull."
'Young people bleeding on the road'
Describing the aftermath of the police action, Amol wrote, “Young people bleeding on the road, their friends crying for help. Some just shocked and in disbelief, asking the cops ‘hum aapke bacche nahi hain kya?’. They came asking for better education, they left with a harsh lesson: no one cares about you (sic).”
The actor said the scenes stayed with him long after he returned home. He recalled crying that night while thinking about students who may have reached home physically and emotionally broken, only to be branded "Pakistanis", "paid agents", "Chinese agents" and "foreign hands" by fellow citizens.
The Gram Chikitsalay actor also questioned what such accusations could do to the minds of young people and whether they would lose hope in the country.
Ending his note, he said he wished he could hug every student and remind them that they were loved, cherished and appreciated. He also thanked them for teaching him the values of empathy, responsibility, mutual respect and standing up for humanity and their rights.
All about the protest
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has been protesting at Jantar Mantar since June 6, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over irregularities in competitive examinations. Educator and activist Sonam Wangchuk later joined the agitation and launched an indefinite hunger strike.
On July 20, protesters marched towards Parliament as part of the Chalo Sansad campaign, which drew support from several public figures, including Shabana Azmi, Prakash Raj, Hanumankind and Amol Parashar.
