Don't suppress their voices: Pooja Bhatt slams DU advisory on student protests

Hours after the University of Delhi asked students to stay away from protests in the capital, including the demonstration at Jantar Mantar, actor-director Pooja Bhatt criticised the advisory and said students should be supported in exercising their right to speak.

The advisory came amid protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar, where tens of thousands of young people have gathered to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over irregularities in the education system, including the leak of the NEET exam paper. Similar protests have also been reported in cities such as Mumbai and Bengaluru.

On Thursday, Delhi University shared a message on social media asking students and faculty to stay away from what it described as unlawful assemblies. The advisory said, "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."

Hours later, Pooja Bhatt shared Delhi University’s message on Twitter, now X, and objected to the advisory. 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."

The protests at Jantar Mantar are centred on calls for Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. In a post on X, the Cockroach Janta Party said, "This movement will not stop until we get the resignation of Pradhan. We will fight together, we will win together." Pradhan, meanwhile, responded in a defiant tone and accused the Congress party of using "students as political tools to manufacture disruption".

Educator Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike in solidarity with students for more than 20 days, ended his fast early on Friday morning. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said that those accused in the NEET leak case had been arrested and that the government was setting up fast-track courts to speed up the case. The protests, the university advisory and the responses from public figures have kept the focus on the continuing anger over the irregularities.

Hours after the University of Delhi asked students to stay away from protests in the capital, including the demonstration at Jantar Mantar, actor-director Pooja Bhatt criticised the advisory and said students should be supported in exercising their right to speak.

The advisory came amid protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar, where tens of thousands of young people have gathered to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over irregularities in the education system, including the leak of the NEET exam paper. Similar protests have also been reported in cities such as Mumbai and Bengaluru.

On Thursday, Delhi University shared a message on social media asking students and faculty to stay away from what it described as unlawful assemblies. The advisory said, "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."

Hours later, Pooja Bhatt shared Delhi University’s message on Twitter, now X, and objected to the advisory. 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."

The protests at Jantar Mantar are centred on calls for Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. In a post on X, the Cockroach Janta Party said, "This movement will not stop until we get the resignation of Pradhan. We will fight together, we will win together." Pradhan, meanwhile, responded in a defiant tone and accused the Congress party of using "students as political tools to manufacture disruption".

Educator Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike in solidarity with students for more than 20 days, ended his fast early on Friday morning. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said that those accused in the NEET leak case had been arrested and that the government was setting up fast-track courts to speed up the case. The protests, the university advisory and the responses from public figures have kept the focus on the continuing anger over the irregularities.