Imran Khan, Arijit Singh back New Delhi student protests
High-profile Indian public figures, including actor Imran Khan, popular singer Arijit Singh, and veteran actress Zeenat Aman, have joined a growing list of celebrities voicing firm support for student-led protests in New Delhi, urging authorities to exercise restraint and engage in constructive dialogue with demonstrators.
The nationwide movement—triggered by mounting student grievances regarding examination irregularities and proposed education reforms—escalated dramatically following reports of harsh police action against peaceful demonstrators gathering at New Delhi’s iconic Jantar Mantar protest site.
Taking to social media platform X to condemn the reported use of force against young marchers, playback sensation Arijit Singh expressed intense outrage over the crackdowns:
”Now you are beating the students. Aren’t you ashamed? Everything will be remembered.”
Actor Imran Khan similarly broke his long-standing public silence to issue an impassioned, lengthier statement on Instagram. Recounting his distress over news footage showing authorities using teargas and physical force against student marchers, the actor questioned the government’s stance on youth empowerment and accountability:
”Something broke in me today. Watching as police gassed and battered student protestors… How could I make sense of this? These students 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 for what matters to them… beaten down and disowned by the establishment. 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 ‘organization’ from students protesting education reform, but don’t apply such lofty standards of accountability to established authority; bootlickers, one and all. If we don’t listen to those who have the most at stake today, we forfeit all our tomorrows. There is no choice here but one: solidarity with the students.”
Concurrently, veteran screen icon Zeenat Aman drew public attention to the deteriorating condition of environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk, whose ongoing hunger strike in the capital entered its third week alongside student gatherings. Aman warned against societal indifference, stressing that neglecting visionary reformers and student leaders threatens the moral fabric of the nation.
Their statements build upon an expanding solidarity movement within the entertainment industry. Artists including Diljit Dosanjh, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Shabana Azmi, Pooja Bhatt, Huma Qureshi, and Ali Fazal have all publicly called for an immediate cessation of violence and transparent administrative reforms. As student assemblies persist across multiple locations in the capital, public calls continue to intensify for top political leadership to sit down with student representatives to peacefully address their concerns.
