Mukesh Khanna calls NEET protest backers 'cockroaches', says throw them out
Mukesh Khanna called people backing the NEET paper leak protest "cockroaches". In his latest video, he claimed that the agitation was driven by an agenda, not students. He also warned protesters that their actions could affect their careers, jobs and future opportunities.
Actor Mukesh Khanna has called the people backing the students' protest over the NEET paper leak “cockroaches” and said they should be “thrown out”. In a video shared on Instagram, the 68-year-old said the protest was not really about students affected by the leak and alleged that those behind it were using students as part of an agenda to destabilise the government.
His remarks come amid a wider row over the conduct and language used during protests linked to the NEET controversy. The issue drew attention after a viral student-led protest in which some participants raised vulgar slogans against political figures and security personnel, triggering a national debate. An FIR was also reportedly registered against a woman named Ruchika over alleged objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In his video, Khanna said in Hindi that although he was away from India, he had continued to follow developments in the country through Instagram Reels and YouTube. Referring to his earlier remarks on Gen Z, he said that if these were the shoulders on which the country would rely 25 years from now, one could imagine the state of the country.
He said that after looking at several things, he had concluded that many people agreed with him that those seen in the protest were not the people who had come forward over the genuine issue of the NEET paper leak. He said they had been called out and that the people who brought them onto the streets were to blame. He further alleged that they had been made to fire guns and abuse people in public, and claimed that those behind the protest had an agenda to topple the government while the same people partied all night. There have been no reports of student protesters firing guns.
Khanna said he strongly believed these people were “cockroaches”. He said that just as cockroaches are thrown out of homes, these people too should be thrown out for the kind of language they had used. He also said the protest was never about students affected by the NEET paper leak and described it as a sponsored protest driven by an agenda.
He added that people who used such abusive language could not genuinely represent those affected by the NEET paper leak. He called them sold-out people who were contributing to the destabilisation of the government.
Khanna also addressed students directly in the video. He warned them that whatever they had done and said would not leave them and alleged that they were being used. He said that if they continued on the same path, they would not receive help from the police or the government. He further said they could face difficulties in finding jobs and obtaining visas, and urged them to get out of it before it ruined their careers.
He captioned the video, “Throw away these cockroaches before it is too late.” Earlier, he had posted another video criticising sections of the youth while sharing several clips of people allegedly using obscene language against the Prime Minister.
Comments by other personalities
The controversy had earlier also drawn in actor and MP Kangana Ranaut, who posted a selfie-style video on Instagram to issue a clarification after calling the protestors 'cockroaches'. She said she was objecting to what she described as obscene behaviour during CJP-led protests over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and that such conduct should not be normalised.
In the same video, Ranaut said discipline and respect for social boundaries were essential for living in society and argued that individual freedom should not infringe on the rights and sentiments of others, including feelings towards family members, religious figures or political leaders. She also criticised what she called “feminazis” and urged people on Guru Purnima to follow the teachings of their mentors and strive for self-improvement instead of what she called “animalistic tendencies”.
Ranaut’s remarks came amid an online war of words with CJP spokesperson Saurav Das. She responded in a series of Instagram Stories by questioning his credentials as a student and calling him “useless and unemployed” while defending her own achievements before entering politics.
Actor Mukesh Khanna has called the people backing the students' protest over the NEET paper leak “cockroaches” and said they should be “thrown out”. In a video shared on Instagram, the 68-year-old said the protest was not really about students affected by the leak and alleged that those behind it were using students as part of an agenda to destabilise the government.
His remarks come amid a wider row over the conduct and language used during protests linked to the NEET controversy. The issue drew attention after a viral student-led protest in which some participants raised vulgar slogans against political figures and security personnel, triggering a national debate. An FIR was also reportedly registered against a woman named Ruchika over alleged objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In his video, Khanna said in Hindi that although he was away from India, he had continued to follow developments in the country through Instagram Reels and YouTube. Referring to his earlier remarks on Gen Z, he said that if these were the shoulders on which the country would rely 25 years from now, one could imagine the state of the country.
He said that after looking at several things, he had concluded that many people agreed with him that those seen in the protest were not the people who had come forward over the genuine issue of the NEET paper leak. He said they had been called out and that the people who brought them onto the streets were to blame. He further alleged that they had been made to fire guns and abuse people in public, and claimed that those behind the protest had an agenda to topple the government while the same people partied all night. There have been no reports of student protesters firing guns.
Khanna said he strongly believed these people were “cockroaches”. He said that just as cockroaches are thrown out of homes, these people too should be thrown out for the kind of language they had used. He also said the protest was never about students affected by the NEET paper leak and described it as a sponsored protest driven by an agenda.
He added that people who used such abusive language could not genuinely represent those affected by the NEET paper leak. He called them sold-out people who were contributing to the destabilisation of the government.
Khanna also addressed students directly in the video. He warned them that whatever they had done and said would not leave them and alleged that they were being used. He said that if they continued on the same path, they would not receive help from the police or the government. He further said they could face difficulties in finding jobs and obtaining visas, and urged them to get out of it before it ruined their careers.
He captioned the video, “Throw away these cockroaches before it is too late.” Earlier, he had posted another video criticising sections of the youth while sharing several clips of people allegedly using obscene language against the Prime Minister.
Comments by other personalities
The controversy had earlier also drawn in actor and MP Kangana Ranaut, who posted a selfie-style video on Instagram to issue a clarification after calling the protestors 'cockroaches'. She said she was objecting to what she described as obscene behaviour during CJP-led protests over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and that such conduct should not be normalised.
In the same video, Ranaut said discipline and respect for social boundaries were essential for living in society and argued that individual freedom should not infringe on the rights and sentiments of others, including feelings towards family members, religious figures or political leaders. She also criticised what she called “feminazis” and urged people on Guru Purnima to follow the teachings of their mentors and strive for self-improvement instead of what she called “animalistic tendencies”.
Ranaut’s remarks came amid an online war of words with CJP spokesperson Saurav Das. She responded in a series of Instagram Stories by questioning his credentials as a student and calling him “useless and unemployed” while defending her own achievements before entering politics.
Actor Mukesh Khanna has called the people backing the students' protest over the NEET paper leak “cockroaches” and said they should be “thrown out”. In a video shared on Instagram, the 68-year-old said the protest was not really about students affected by the leak and alleged that those behind it were using students as part of an agenda to destabilise the government.
His remarks come amid a wider row over the conduct and language used during protests linked to the NEET controversy. The issue drew attention after a viral student-led protest in which some participants raised vulgar slogans against political figures and security personnel, triggering a national debate. An FIR was also reportedly registered against a woman named Ruchika over alleged objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In his video, Khanna said in Hindi that although he was away from India, he had continued to follow developments in the country through Instagram Reels and YouTube. Referring to his earlier remarks on Gen Z, he said that if these were the shoulders on which the country would rely 25 years from now, one could imagine the state of the country.
He said that after looking at several things, he had concluded that many people agreed with him that those seen in the protest were not the people who had come forward over the genuine issue of the NEET paper leak. He said they had been called out and that the people who brought them onto the streets were to blame. He further alleged that they had been made to fire guns and abuse people in public, and claimed that those behind the protest had an agenda to topple the government while the same people partied all night. There have been no reports of student protesters firing guns.
Khanna said he strongly believed these people were “cockroaches”. He said that just as cockroaches are thrown out of homes, these people too should be thrown out for the kind of language they had used. He also said the protest was never about students affected by the NEET paper leak and described it as a sponsored protest driven by an agenda.
He added that people who used such abusive language could not genuinely represent those affected by the NEET paper leak. He called them sold-out people who were contributing to the destabilisation of the government.
Khanna also addressed students directly in the video. He warned them that whatever they had done and said would not leave them and alleged that they were being used. He said that if they continued on the same path, they would not receive help from the police or the government. He further said they could face difficulties in finding jobs and obtaining visas, and urged them to get out of it before it ruined their careers.
He captioned the video, “Throw away these cockroaches before it is too late.” Earlier, he had posted another video criticising sections of the youth while sharing several clips of people allegedly using obscene language against the Prime Minister.
Comments by other personalities
The controversy had earlier also drawn in actor and MP Kangana Ranaut, who posted a selfie-style video on Instagram to issue a clarification after calling the protestors 'cockroaches'. She said she was objecting to what she described as obscene behaviour during CJP-led protests over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and that such conduct should not be normalised.
In the same video, Ranaut said discipline and respect for social boundaries were essential for living in society and argued that individual freedom should not infringe on the rights and sentiments of others, including feelings towards family members, religious figures or political leaders. She also criticised what she called “feminazis” and urged people on Guru Purnima to follow the teachings of their mentors and strive for self-improvement instead of what she called “animalistic tendencies”.
Ranaut’s remarks came amid an online war of words with CJP spokesperson Saurav Das. She responded in a series of Instagram Stories by questioning his credentials as a student and calling him “useless and unemployed” while defending her own achievements before entering politics.
