Imran Khan joins student protest march in Mumbai, clicks selfies. Watch
Imran Khan joined a Mumbai protest march backing the CJP-led student agitation after police action in Delhi. The demonstrations gathered wider celebrity support as the Centre moved to tighten security in the capital.
Actor Imran Khan joined a student protest march in Mumbai on Wednesday, extending his support to the ongoing CJP-led agitation over alleged irregularities in entrance examinations. Videos from the march showed the actor walking alongside hundreds of students in the rain, greeting protesters, posing for selfies and interacting with supporters who recognised him.
A video shared on social media captured Imran smiling as he marched with the protesters, fist-bumping students and stopping to click pictures with fans. The visuals have since been widely circulated on social media.
Speaking to an independent journalist during the protest march, he said, "I am here to show my support for all the students who work hard and whose hard work was invalidated and was discarded. I am here because this is a fight for the future of our nation. All of the children of Mother India are here today."
Imran's appearance at the march came a day after he criticised the police action against protesters at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. On Monday, students marching from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament were stopped by police, with clashes leading to lathi-charge and the use of tear gas.
Reacting to the incident, Imran wrote, "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."
He added, "Are these not the children of Mother India? If not them, for whom do we build, and whose future do we claim to protect? Those who demand 'organisation' from students protesting education reform, but don't apply such lofty standards of accountability to established authority; bootlickers, one and all."
Earlier, the actor had also expressed support for activist Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike by sharing a post that read, "Standing up for the future @wangchuksworld #ChaloSansad."
Imran is among several film personalities who have backed the ongoing protests. Celebrities including Zeenat Aman, Anurag Kashyap, Shabana Azmi, Ratna Pathak Shah, Abhay Deol and Omi Vaidya have also voiced support for Wangchuk and the student movement through social media posts and public statements.
Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which is leading the protest, claimed on Wednesday that thousands of people had gathered at Jantar Mantar. Party spokesperson Saurav Das shared visuals of the crowd, while another spokesperson, Ashutosh Ranka, told ANI that "millions more will come" if the government's demands remain unmet.
Amid the continuing protests, the Ministry of Home Affairs ordered the immediate deployment of 20 additional companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to Delhi to strengthen security in the national capital.
Actor Imran Khan joined a student protest march in Mumbai on Wednesday, extending his support to the ongoing CJP-led agitation over alleged irregularities in entrance examinations. Videos from the march showed the actor walking alongside hundreds of students in the rain, greeting protesters, posing for selfies and interacting with supporters who recognised him.
A video shared on social media captured Imran smiling as he marched with the protesters, fist-bumping students and stopping to click pictures with fans. The visuals have since been widely circulated on social media.
Speaking to an independent journalist during the protest march, he said, "I am here to show my support for all the students who work hard and whose hard work was invalidated and was discarded. I am here because this is a fight for the future of our nation. All of the children of Mother India are here today."
Imran's appearance at the march came a day after he criticised the police action against protesters at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. On Monday, students marching from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament were stopped by police, with clashes leading to lathi-charge and the use of tear gas.
Reacting to the incident, Imran wrote, "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."
He added, "Are these not the children of Mother India? If not them, for whom do we build, and whose future do we claim to protect? Those who demand 'organisation' from students protesting education reform, but don't apply such lofty standards of accountability to established authority; bootlickers, one and all."
Earlier, the actor had also expressed support for activist Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike by sharing a post that read, "Standing up for the future @wangchuksworld #ChaloSansad."
Imran is among several film personalities who have backed the ongoing protests. Celebrities including Zeenat Aman, Anurag Kashyap, Shabana Azmi, Ratna Pathak Shah, Abhay Deol and Omi Vaidya have also voiced support for Wangchuk and the student movement through social media posts and public statements.
Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which is leading the protest, claimed on Wednesday that thousands of people had gathered at Jantar Mantar. Party spokesperson Saurav Das shared visuals of the crowd, while another spokesperson, Ashutosh Ranka, told ANI that "millions more will come" if the government's demands remain unmet.
Amid the continuing protests, the Ministry of Home Affairs ordered the immediate deployment of 20 additional companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to Delhi to strengthen security in the national capital.
Actor Imran Khan joined a student protest march in Mumbai on Wednesday, extending his support to the ongoing CJP-led agitation over alleged irregularities in entrance examinations. Videos from the march showed the actor walking alongside hundreds of students in the rain, greeting protesters, posing for selfies and interacting with supporters who recognised him.
A video shared on social media captured Imran smiling as he marched with the protesters, fist-bumping students and stopping to click pictures with fans. The visuals have since been widely circulated on social media.
Speaking to an independent journalist during the protest march, he said, "I am here to show my support for all the students who work hard and whose hard work was invalidated and was discarded. I am here because this is a fight for the future of our nation. All of the children of Mother India are here today."
Imran's appearance at the march came a day after he criticised the police action against protesters at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. On Monday, students marching from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament were stopped by police, with clashes leading to lathi-charge and the use of tear gas.
Reacting to the incident, Imran wrote, "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."
He added, "Are these not the children of Mother India? If not them, for whom do we build, and whose future do we claim to protect? Those who demand 'organisation' from students protesting education reform, but don't apply such lofty standards of accountability to established authority; bootlickers, one and all."
Earlier, the actor had also expressed support for activist Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike by sharing a post that read, "Standing up for the future @wangchuksworld #ChaloSansad."
Imran is among several film personalities who have backed the ongoing protests. Celebrities including Zeenat Aman, Anurag Kashyap, Shabana Azmi, Ratna Pathak Shah, Abhay Deol and Omi Vaidya have also voiced support for Wangchuk and the student movement through social media posts and public statements.
Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which is leading the protest, claimed on Wednesday that thousands of people had gathered at Jantar Mantar. Party spokesperson Saurav Das shared visuals of the crowd, while another spokesperson, Ashutosh Ranka, told ANI that "millions more will come" if the government's demands remain unmet.
Amid the continuing protests, the Ministry of Home Affairs ordered the immediate deployment of 20 additional companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to Delhi to strengthen security in the national capital.
